SOKOTO, Nigeria – The Sokoto State Government has formally intervened to undertake the full tertiary educational sponsorship of a 16-year-old orphan, Muhammad Sirajo Abubakar, following his exceptional academic performance in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination where he recorded an aggregate score of 353, state education correspondents reported from Sokoto on Wednesday afternoon, September 30, 2026.
The state government’s decision was officially disclosed in a press release issued in Sokoto by the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Higher Education, Ibrahim Iya, following viral public interest and widespread admiration generated across digital media by the student’s remarkable intellectual triumph over childhood adversity.
Okay News reports that Muhammad, who was orphaned after losing both parents at an early age, delivered one of the highest cumulative scores in Northern Nigeria in the 2026 national tertiary admissions examination, scoring 92 in Mathematics, 67 in Use of English, 98 in Physics, and 96 in Chemistry.
The student’s academic portfolio was further corroborated by his secondary school leaving performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, which revealed three A1 distinctions, four B grades, and one credit, with his final grade in Biology still pending determination.
Having applied to study Mechatronics Engineering at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Muhammad’s educational trajectory faced severe financial uncertainty due to the absence of parental sponsorship, prompting the Sokoto State Ministry of Higher Education to initiate swift administrative contact.
According to the ministerial dispatch, the Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Isa Muhammad Maishanu, mobilized state resources after monitoring the candidate’s story online, directing the Sokoto State Coordinator of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Ibrahim Muazu Hassan, to locate the teenager and escort him to the ministerial headquarters for executive evaluation.
Muhammad was received at the Ministry of Higher Education on Tuesday by Professor Maishanu alongside senior management directors, who conducted an initial appraisal of his academic credentials and confirmed his readiness for university placement.
The commissioner commended the teenager for demonstrating uncommon intellectual brilliance, mental fortitude, and dedication to academic excellence despite the emotional and economic hardships of losing his parents, describing him as a shining ambassador of the youth of Sokoto State.
Professor Maishanu affirmed that the ministry will establish a comprehensive scholarship package to cover his undergraduate tuition, living stipends, and research materials, ensuring that no financial obstacle derails his dream of becoming a mechatronics engineer.
The ministry underscored that the educational intervention aligns directly with the core human capital priorities of Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto’s administration under its nine-point Smart Agenda, which emphasizes merit-based educational empowerment and institutional support for vulnerable yet gifted young citizens.
The state government equally commended the state JAMB coordinator for his rapid institutional synergy, reiterating its commitment to monitoring Muhammad’s matriculation process at Ahmadu Bello University to ensure a seamless academic transition.
