The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) unveiled the highest achievers of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) on Tuesday, with Okeke Chinedu Christian from Anambra State emerging as the nation’s top scorer with an impressive 375 out of 400 marks.

The announcement, made by JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede during the 2025 Policy Meeting in Abuja, highlighted a striking trend: engineering disciplines dominated the academic aspirations of Nigeria’s brightest students, while female representation in the elite top 10 remained disappointingly low.

Okeke, who chose the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to pursue Mechanical Engineering, led a pack of high-flyers overwhelmingly skewed toward STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields.

Close behind was Gombe’s Ayuba Simon-Peter John with 374 marks, also opting for Mechanical Engineering at Afe Babalola University (ABUAD). Kwara’s Abdulmalik Olayinka Jimoh secured third place with 373 marks, maintaining the trend with another Mechanical Engineering preference at UNILAG.

The glaring underrepresentation of female candidates in the highest echelons of the UTME results has reignited debates about gender disparities in STEM education. While Olawepo Tunmise’s achievement at 373 marks was commendable, her solitary presence in the top 10 underscores systemic challenges facing young women in competitive academic fields.

Education analyst Dr. Amina Bello noted: “The dominance of male candidates in high-scoring STEM fields isn’t new, but it’s a persistent issue. We need targeted interventions to encourage more girls to excel in these disciplines.”

Anambra, Gombe, Kwara, Rivers, and Delta States produced the highest performers, showcasing a spread across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones. However, the South still dominated, with seven top scorers hailing from Southern states.

Ayuba Simon-Peter’s second-place finish from Gombe, however, demonstrated that academic excellence is not confined to any single region.

With most top scorers selecting highly competitive courses like Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, pressure mounts on institutions such as UNILAG, UI, and ABUAD to accommodate the surge in elite applicants.

JAMB’s Oloyede reiterated the board’s commitment to a transparent admission process but warned that high scores alone do not guarantee admission. “Institutions also consider post-UTME screenings and catchment policies,” he reminded candidates.