Miss Precious Nkechinyere Kamsiyochukwu Umeh, was a student of Deeper Life High School, Mowe campus in Ogun State.  She hails from Anambra State.
Precious became a champion when she sat the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) 2023, and took 1st position nationwide.
She scored nearly 100% in all the four UTME subjects registered for.  She scored 66 in English, 98% in Mathematics, 97% in Physics and 99% in Chemistry. Her aggregate score was 360.
As if that was not enough, in the just-concluded West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE), the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) result released showed that Precious again cleared all papers.  She cleared all her papers in the just concluded WASSCE indicating that she is really a champion. She scored 8As and a B in the nine subjects she registered in the examination.
Recall that the 16 year old Precious has applied to the University of Lagos to study Chemical Engineering. She recieved nationwide recognition for achieving the feat. She has already got several awards in scholarship from her state government. She received a cash prize of N2.5m from the Chief Executive Officer of Erisco Foods Limited, just to mention but a few.
This is an indication that she was determined to showcase the genius she is.  Not just that,  she also proved the good work her teachers have done.  She has told others that malpractice is not the answer to academic challenge.  She proved to her parents and the world at large that hard work pays.
One interesting thing about Precious’ performance in the two external examinations is that, they are of the same grades.  A situation where anybody would have suspected that she engaged in examination malpractice in the WASCE.  UTME is a Computer-Based Test (CBT).  That has proved that she merited all.
This brings to mind that the female child when given an opportunity, favourable and conducive environment can fly even above the sky.  Time has passed when one would say that women education should end in the kitchen.  Should the person of Precious and her brilliance end in kitchen?  God forbid!  With Precious’ performance in the two examinations this year, all who have been relegating the girl-child to the background will have a rethink. It is now known that this kind of performance is not only for the opposite sex.
Although I am not here to promote or advertise the kind of high school she attended, there was a lot of commitment both from the teachers/school and the girl.  That’s one of the schools where huge sums of money are paid for effective teaching and learning.  But one interesting thing is that she ensured that her parents’ efforts were not wasted.  That’s the kind of gesture every girl-child should emulate.
Precious can go into any field of study especially in sciences and technology with such results not just in Nigeria but overseas.  She has become the pride of her family, nation and the globe. Such performance of Precious should be rewarded with MORE scholarship awards running into millions of naira and other currencies in case of overseas studies.  We should not only reward things that are not academic.
Definitely she will build the nation.  Remember, you train a woman and you train a nation.
As Precious moves in furtherance of her academic pursuit in Nigeria and abroad, government at every level, spirited individuals and organisations  should assist the parents who made it possible for her to achieve the feat.
Precious has set a pace for other female children to emulate.  This is the era where girls should showcase their God-given talents to let the world  know that their education does not end in kitchen.  They must compete favourably with the opposite sex.  The impression that women are the weaker sex should not ring in their hearts any more.  The era where science and technology are the order of the day, in this computer age, girl-child/young women should utilise the opportunities provided them.
The likes of our own Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), is what Precious  may be aiming at.  Women want more of that with Precious’ performance this year.  I have no doubt in my mind that she will go to any length.
Miss Umeh’s performance in the last UTME, is a wake-up call to parents and guardians that the girl-child who was seen as nobody, who could be given for marriage at underage for money-making, can be empowered.   The girl-child who was taken to be inferior to the male child should be given equal opportunity.
This is not an era when a girl-child should be pushed into marriage without going to school.  Educating the female children should be the priority of parents.
Mothers should allow their girl-children discover their talents before giving  them out for marriage.  When they are given out at premature age, some end up as full-time housewives.
Girls should not be given out for marriage just to produce children they cannot cater for.  When they are fully equipped with the right instruments, they will be able to cater for their children in future.

By: Eunice Choko-Kayode