Abia State Governor Alex Otti has pledged to support the education of Master Michael Offorkaile, an Abia indigene who emerged as one of the highest scorers in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), after recording an impressive score of 367.
The governor made the commitment on Monday while receiving Offorkaile, his parents, and the management of Grundtvig International Secondary School, Oba, Anambra State, at the Government House in Umuahia. According to the state government, Offorkaile’s score ranked him fifth among the highest-performing candidates nationwide in the 2026 UTME.
Congratulating the student on the feat, Otti described the achievement as a testament to hard work and academic excellence, stressing that his administration is committed to recognising and rewarding outstanding performance.
“We don’t take this for granted. The whole idea is to celebrate our own when they do well. As a government founded on meritocracy, we will not stop celebrating people who do well,” the governor said.
He assured the student of the state’s backing throughout his academic journey, noting that success in the UTME was only the beginning of greater achievements.
Otti directed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education to work out the details of the educational support package for Offorkaile. He also instructed his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Dodoh Okafor, to liaise with the student’s parents to facilitate the process.
The governor expressed confidence that the recognition would inspire the teenager to excel further at the university level and encourage other young Nigerians to strive for academic distinction.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education disclosed that Otti had specifically directed the ministry to identify and honour the high-performing student as part of efforts to promote a culture of excellence in Abia State.
The principal of Grundtvig International Secondary School, Ige Bello, and Offorkaile’s father, Odinaka Offorkaile, commended the governor for recognising the student’s accomplishment. They attributed the outstanding UTME performance to years of discipline, consistency, and dedication to learning.
Responding, Michael Offorkaile expressed gratitude to the governor for the recognition and promised to remain committed to academic excellence.
“I will also try my best to keep performing, keep inspiring, and keep encouraging students from Abia and Nigeria,” he said.
The gesture aligns with the Abia State Government’s stated policy of rewarding merit and encouraging educational excellence as part of broader efforts to strengthen the state’s education sector.
