An 18-year-old girl who achieved a high score in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has taken to social media to express her distress over her father's unexpected reaction. The young lady, who works as a POS agent to fund her education, recounted how her father responded to her JAMB results both last year and this year.
Lady Compares Father's Reactions to Two JAMB Results
In a detailed post on TikTok under the handle @odunayo.06, the teenager explained that she first wrote the JAMB exam in 2025 at the age of 17. She scored 250, which she considered a decent result, but her father dismissed it with laughter. He reportedly said, '250? You wan use 250 cook soup? Better go learn tailoring from Iya Risikat. At least customer go pay you every week.' Her mother remained silent, adding to her feeling of isolation.
Despite her efforts to study under challenging conditions—reading with a phone torchlight due to lack of electricity and using a borrowed textbook with missing pages—she was unable to secure admission. Her aunt told her bluntly, 'God no create everybody to go school, go do monthly work.' Determined to succeed, she took up a POS job earning ₦15,000 monthly and later switched to a part-time role paying ₦13,000. She used her earnings to pay for JAMB tutorials and registration.
High Score in 2026 UTME
This year, the young lady sat for the 2026 UTME and scored an impressive 297, with subject scores of CRS 78, Literature in English 72, Government 70, and English 77. Excited, she rushed home to share the news, hoping for a positive response. However, her father simply asked, 'Okay. But where the school fees dey?' Her mother showed excitement but immediately worried about finances. The silence that followed hurt more than her previous failure.
She wrote, 'I didn't cry that night. I just sat outside and made a plan. Is this how 297 will waste again?' Her story resonated with many social media users who offered encouragement and advice.
Reactions from Social Media Users
Commenters shared similar experiences and suggested solutions. User Ur☺️favorite?❤️girl said, 'That's how mine dad too use to do.' Oluwakemi Aderinoye advised, 'Pls my dear, pursue ur admission, don't be discouraged, help us on ur way. Ur acct no. pls.' $~M~$ noted, 'Them nor dey gather school money ooo,... as you dey go God dey provide.' Ask_ofdinma recommended applying for NELFUND, saying, 'I school in uniport and some of my friends also applied for nelfund, they fund u through your stay in the school, they also give you monthly allowance 20k every month.'
Fareedah shared her own struggle: 'Omorr I scored 307 last year and my parents were like u would have scored 350+ then it's have been easier to get into school in a country like Nigeria... Make sure you get into your preferred institution first and apply for NELFUND they will help pay for fees and give you stipend every month.' Chysom offered a prayer: 'You'll go to that school of your choice, people will celebrate you, you'll come out with first class, nothing will hinder your success! Amen.'
Broader Context
This story highlights the financial and emotional challenges many Nigerian students face in pursuing higher education. Despite scoring well, the lack of family support and financial resources can derail dreams. The young lady remains determined, and her story has sparked conversations about the need for accessible funding and encouragement for students.
