As concerns mount over the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, a 14-year-old boy from Ilorin, Olayiwola Ayomide Ethan, is capturing national attention—not just for scoring 330 out of 400, but for standing out as one of the few underaged candidates who surpassed expectations.
According to figures from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), out of the nearly two million candidates who sat for the exam, only about 420,000 scored 200 and above—a benchmark often used by institutions to assess university admission eligibility. More alarmingly, 78% of all candidates scored below 200, fuelling public concern about declining standards in the secondary education sector.
Amid this bleak landscape, Ayomide’s performance becomes even more remarkable when placed in context: he is one of 40,247 underaged candidates—students younger than 16—granted special permission to write the 2025 UTME.
Out of this group, only 467 candidates (1.16%) attained scores that qualify them for further assessment in the admission process. Ayomide is among this elite 1.16%.
The story behind his success, shared by his father on X (formerly Twitter), offers a rare glimpse into the power of deliberate parenting, structured mentorship, and emotional support. Posting with @PeeGeeMax, he wrote:
“For about five months, three times a week, Lekan would come to the house,” the father wrote in the now-viral post. “They would sit outside on plastic chairs, and he would painstakingly take my son through the subjects, one by one.”
“Last year after only about 5 months of training, my son sat for *GCE at 14. The results showed me that the plan was working.”
But even with structured tutoring, the process was not without its emotional weight.
At one point, Ayomide broke down during Sunday School, confiding in his teachers that the academic load was overwhelming. “I cried that night,” his father recalled. “But I spoke to him and assured him that he could never disappoint me.”
To support his son’s focus, the father made a bold decision: Ayomide was excused from household chores until after his Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
Previously juggling his studies with cooking, cleaning, and laundry, the boy now had the space to concentrate fully.
The results of this shift were swift and significant. Ayomide excelled in the 2024 *West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates, and his UTME score of 330 is now being celebrated as a triumph of resilience, routine, and responsible parenting.
He scored 73 in the Use of English, 80 in Chemistry, 91 in Mathematics and 86 in Physics to make up the UTME total grade. His WASSCE result includes an A1 in both Geography and General Mathematics, along with B2 in both Civic Education and English. He got B3 in both Biology and Physics. His grades in Agricultural Science and Chemisty were C4 and C5 respectively.
“I decided to share this story because there may be a parent where I was a year or two ago,” his father wrote. “It takes patience and commitment. It takes deliberate and conscious acts. It takes love.”
In an effort to pay it forward, he also disclosed that Lekan—the tutor—has agreed to make his contact available to other parents in Ilorin who are seeking similar guidance for their children.
In an environment where public faith in the education system is being tested, the story of Ayomide Ethan Olayiwola offers a rare but needed reminder: with the right support system, even the most daunting odds can be overcome.
As his father concluded, “Our children can be more than we want them to be.”
*The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates written in the last quarter of each year is called General Certificate Examination (GCE) by some Nigerians. GCE is commonly used colloquially to refer to the private candidate versions of the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) administered by both West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO). Therefore, while “GCE” is no longer an official designation since the 1980s, the examinations it once referred to continue to be administered under updated titles.
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