Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has pledged to support the University education of Michael Offorkaile, an Abia born student who scored 367 in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, ranking fifth among the highest scorers nationwide.

The Governor made the commitment on Monday when he received Offorkaile, his parents and the management of Grundtvig International Secondary School, Oba, Anambra State, at his office.

Otti congratulated the teenager on his performance, noting that the State Government does not take such excellence for granted. He directed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education to work out the details of the support and instructed the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr Dodoh Okafor, to liaise with the student's parents on the necessary follow up.

The Governor stated, "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. We also want you to be a source of encouragement to those coming after you and to know that when they do well, they will be celebrated."

He added, "We also want this to be an encouragement to him because the journey has just started. JAMB is the little roadblock you have to go through to now start a degree programme of four years. So, having been celebrated because you came first, we expect that you even do better as you go to the University."

Otti disclosed that the details of the support would be worked out with the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Uche Emeh Uche, who had introduced Offorkaile at the event. She revealed that the Governor had directed her to locate the student and bring him to the State for recognition.

The Principal of Grundtvig International Secondary School, Mr Ige Bello, and the student's father, Mr Odinaka Offorkaile, of Umunneochi Local Government Area, noted that they were not surprised by his outstanding performance given his consistent academic excellence. They commended Otti for honouring Offorkaile and for his commitment to education and governance in Abia State.

Responding, Offorkaile thanked the Governor for the recognition and described him as a role model. He stated, "I want to thank you for what you have done for me and my family, and also my school today. I will also try my best to keep performing, keep inspiring, and keep encouraging students from Abia and Nigeria."

Otti added that the State would continue to celebrate excellence in every sphere of society, and expressed confidence that the student would achieve even greater success as he progresses in his academic journey.