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A 26-year-old Nigerian Birmingham City University graduate, Anu Yusuf, has made history, getting married and graduating with a first-class degree on the same day!
Anu received her Law LLB in a ceremony at Symphony Hall alongside hundreds of her fellow students on Wednesday July 27, wearing a traditional cap and gown. But hours before, she was dressed all in white wedding gown as she tied the knot at Birmingham Register Office.
Anu and her 27-year-old husband, Joseph Kolawole Ola, met four years ago in Gombe at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Their engagement was prolonged because of her studies in the UK.
She was quoted as saying:
“My husband often joked that he would whisk me away after my graduation to marry me because he can no longer wait. So, we decided to marry on my actual graduation day! “Romance aside, it certainly worked well logistically too, as it meant that our relatives only had to travel once for both occasions. We both have family all over the UK and we were conscious of taking up too much of their time and for all the added expense in making the same journey twice.”
Anu and Joseph’s wedding started at 10.40am with a civil ceremony at Birmingham Register Office.
Following the official wedding photography, the entire party headed for a midday blessing at Anu’s church, VBCI Treasure Sanctuary, located at Perry Barr Methodist Church, north of the City.
The service finished at 1pm and all 50 guests were provided with take-away meals packaged up in gift bags.
The wedding party enjoyed a traditional Nigerian meal on-the-go, including jollof rice with chicken served with salad, along with gizdodo (gizzard and plantain), moi moi (made from black-eyed peas), and poundo yam with vegetable soup.
After that, Anu quickly changed in to another outfit and headed back in to Birmingham city centre for 2pm to collect her cap and gown before receiving her first-class degree.
Half of the wedding party accompanied her to Symphony Hall, although she was only allowed the maximum four guests into the actual ceremony, including her husband and two uncles, who were both wedding witnesses.
By 5pm, the graduation ceremony had come to a close and all Anu and Joseph’s guests were on their way home.
As well as her Law degree, Anu has supported her studies with part-time work at Birmingham City University, including a role most recently in the International Office there as a Marketing and Communications Assistant.