With sheer grit, an undying penchant for the extraordinary, and a drive to make history; they blazed the trail against the odds. Many of them stayed up at night to read, resisting the temptation from the warmth of their beds. For the ultimate glory, they denied themselves temporary comfort, studying for hours. In the end, they became champions, an inspiration to their world, lifting souls with their therapeutic stories of victory.
Since the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was established in 1978, some students have distinguished themselves for their heroics in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The latest of such was Nkechinyere Umeh who got 360 in the exam — 99 in Chemistry, 98 in Mathematics, 97 in Physics, and 66 in English Language.
However, their fame is often short-lived, with little to nothing usually heard about them after the initial euphoria about their heroics.
To this end, TheCable examines the top UTME scorers in the last 10 years — to know how the country’s best brains are faring.
2013 TOP SCORER: MEDICAL DOCTOR
Olise Israel Chukwunalu became the cynosure of many eyes in 2013 when he got 299 in the UTME. Shortly after, he gained admission into the University of Ibadan (UI) where he studied medicine and surgery. He told TheCable that he is now a medical doctor and currently works in Ibadan.
2014 TOP SCORER: LECTURER AT UNIBEN
Onomejoh Princewill was the best UTME candidate in 2014 with a score of 299. But he did not stop there. He continued with his academic brilliance at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) where he graduated with a first class. He was also the best-graduating student from the institution’s faculty of arts for his set.
Speaking with TheCable, Princewill said he is currently a lecturer at UNIBEN. “I teach French at the Department of Foreign Language. I am also concluding my masters now. I will be done with it (masters) in the next month,” he said.
2015 TOP SCORER: LAWYER & CONSULTANT
Ilukwe Lottachukwu Geraldine, then a student of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, got 332 in 2015 UTME. She was widely celebrated as the top scorer in the exam. Geraldine is now a lawyer and consultant based in the United Kingdom. She attended the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in England where she bagged second-class upper in law.
In 2019, she worked as an intern with the United Nations (UN) where she researched green energy investment opportunities for British companies in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Speaking with TheCable, her mother said she did not attend the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) as claimed.
2016 TOP SCORERS: MEDICAL STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY
Akenbor Adesuwa Osarugue and Anonye Victory Emenike were joint top scorers in the 2016 UTME. They both had 359 in the exam. When contacted, Adesuwa’s father told TheCable that she is currently studying medicine at UNIBEN.
Emenike, on the other hand, is currently a 600-level student of medicine and surgery at the University of Jos (UNIJOS). The medical student, however, told TheCable that he was not “recognised” for the UTME feat then and struggled financially to support his varsity education.
“I was not recognised at the time and struggled through medical school. I had to borrow money from here and there to pay my tuition. It has been difficult for me. I will appreciate if I can get any help,” Emenike said.
2017 TOP SCORER: UNKNOWN
Akingbulugbe Precious Ayomide was the top scorer in the 2017 UTME. He got 353 in the exam. However, TheCable could not reach him. He also has a low profile on the internet, making it difficult to get information about him.
2018 TOP SCORER: ENGINEERING STUDENT AT COVENANT UNIVERSITY
Galadima Israel Zakari stole the headlines when the 2018 UTME results were released. Despite losing his dad as a kid, the graduate of Faith Academy in Ota, Ogun state, defied the odds by scoring 364 in the UTME. “I read a lot, I knew I was going to do well but not up to this feat,” he said in an interview.
At the time, Kashim Shettima, who was the governor of Borno state, awarded him N5 million scholarship to further his education.
“He has made Borno State proud and we are mightily proud of him,” Shettima, now the country’s vice-president, said.
Zakari is currently a student at Covenant University where he is studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering. His LinkedIn bio says he would graduate from the institution this year.
2019 TOP SCORER: UNKNOWN
Ezeunala Ekene Franklin became a sensation after he scored 347 in the 2019 UTME. Franklin graduated from Meiran Community Senior High School in Lagos. He was in the news when the University of Lagos (UNILAG) announced that it would not consider him for admission because he was 15 years old at the time.
“I know it is their law and, if it is the will of God, something can done to change the situation. I know I cannot change the law on UNILAG admission criteria. But I hope someone can come to my aid on this age issue,” he had said in an interview.
It is understood that he later got a scholarship to study Computer Science and Mathematics at Columbia University in the United States but TheCable could not independently verify this. When contacted, his mother declined to comment about him. “No comment on that, I am sorry. The whole JAMB issue was a mess,” she said.
2020 TOP SCORER: ENGINEERING STUDENT AT DUKE UNIVERSITY, US
Maduafokwa Egoagwuagwu Agnes, a graduate of Louisville Girls High School, Ijebu-Itele in Ogun state, was the top UTME scorer for 2020. She dazzled many with an impressive score of 365. “In my school, people study a lot. Sometimes they read into the night when they are supposed to be sleeping,” she said in an interview. She was among other candidates honoured for their heroics in the exam by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).
Agnes is currently a student of Mechanical Engineering at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, United States under the institution’s Karsh scholarship programme for international students. The programme brings together an intellectually and civically engaged cohort of international students who promote interdisciplinary inquiry, academic research, and scholarship in the service of society.
TheCable contacted her mother to find out more about the student but she refused to go into details. “She is fine, she is in school outside the country,” she quipped.
2021 TOP SCORER: ENGINEERING STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, US
With a score of 358 over 400, Monwuba Chibuzo Chibuikem was the best candidate in the 2021 UTME. He initially selected Covenant University as his preferred institution of study. However, the graduate of St. Francis Catholic Secondary School in Idimu, Lagos state, is now studying
He is expected to complete the programme by 2026, according to his LinkedIn profile.
2022 TOP SCORER: UNKNOWN
Adebayo Eyimofe Oluwatofunmi from Ekiti state stood out in the 2022 UTME with a score of 362. Like a few others, there has been little about him in the public domain since then. TheCable could not reach him as of the time of this report.
2023 TOP SCORER: APPLIED FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AT UNILAG
Nkechinyere Umeh is the latest UTME top scorer. The student of Deeper Life High School in Mowe, Ogun state, scored 360 over 400. Several individuals and institutions have celebrated her for the feat. Charles Soludo, the governor of Anambra state, recently granted her a full scholarship to study any course of her choice at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU).
She was also given a scholarship to study any course of her choice at Anchor University, owned by Deeper Life Bible Church. The student applied to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
Umeh’s feat came at about the same time when Joy Mmesoma, another Anambra UTME candidate, claimed she was the best student in the exam with a score of 362.
JAMB had said Mmesoma faked the results to mislead the public. A panel constituted by the Anambra state government to investigate the matter said the student admitted to manipulating her result.
FUN FACT:
Analysis by TheCable Index, the data arm of TheCable, showed that the highest UTME score in the last decade was 365 in 2020.
In terms of gender, there have been more male students as UTME top scorers (8) – representing 63 per cent – than female students (4) which represent 33 per cent.
In the last decade, the only time there were joint-top scorers was in 2016 when both candidates had 359.
Who will be the next UTME top scorer?
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