14-year-old, Abara Amaka, a student of Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Abuja, has achieved an extraordinary feat—scoring 324 out of 400 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and fulfilling the strict age condition set by the board.
Amaka, an SS3 student, scored 75 in Use of English, 85 in Biology, 72 in Chemistry, and 92 in Physics. However, her journey to writing the exam was not easy.
Her mother, Mrs. Abara, shared how Amaka faced public embarrassment during registration at the CBT centre because of her age.
“During JAMB registration, my Daughter was asked her age, and the moment she answered “14 years”, the whole crowd at the CBT Centre chorused “heeeey, heeeey”! She felt so embarrassed and belittled but managed to keep a straight face,” Mrs Abara said.
Due to her age, Amaka was handed a special form meant for underage candidates. The form stated;
“An underage candidate registering for the UTME exam must be exceptionally brilliant and academically gifted”, and is expected to score an average of 80% (320) of the total Examination Score. And failure to score 80% (320), the candidate will never sit for the Exam again for 16 years.
Worried about the pressure this would place on her daughter, Mrs. Abara tried to convince her to wait.
“I turned to look at my daughter, hoping she would be nervous like I was. But she stood there confidently and said, ‘Mummy, let’s fill in and sign the form.’ I asked, ‘Nne, what if you don’t make it and have to stay home for two more years?’ She looked at me and calmly said, ‘Don’t worry, Mummy,’ Mrs Abara recounted.
With her mother’s support, they signed the form, registered, and returned home. From that day, Amaka began preparing like her life depended on it.
And her hard work paid off. Amaka did not just meet the condition—she surpassed it, scoring well above the 320 benchmark. She proved not only to the board but to everyone who doubted her that she is truly exceptionally brilliant and gifted.
Now 15 years old, Amaka has her sights set on studying Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), having scored a high grade.
