In a year when over 76% of candidates scored below 200 in the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board, JAMB, one teenager has defied all odds.
Afolabi Olumide Ayodeji, a 15-year-old student of Icons Comprehensive College, Akure, has made national history by scoring 370 — the highest UTME score recorded since the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, adopted the CBT format in 2013.
This comes just days after JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, expressed concern over what he described as a “worrisome performance decline” in the 2025 UTME results, as just about 24% of candidates scored above 200, and thousands failed to meet university admission benchmarks.
Against this backdrop, Afolabi’s stellar performance has stunned educators, parents, and policymakers alike, providing a rare moment of triumph in an otherwise dismal examination year.
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“I didn’t set out to break any record. I only wanted to give my best,” Afolabi said with humility. “I thank God, my parents, and my teachers for believing in me.”
His remarkable feat has now turned him into a national symbol of brilliance, discipline, and possibility. With a calm demeanor and razor-sharp intellect, the Akure native has not only broken a decade-long record — he has ignited a much-needed national conversation about the urgent need to identify and nurture academically gifted students.
Educationists say Afolabi’s success should be a wake-up call for Nigeria’s education system to shift from generalized mass learning to targeted intellectual development and mentorship.
Crediblenewsng.com
