Benue State-born Samuel Nder has
become the overall best scholar in the
2014 May/June West African Senior
School Certificate Examination.
Nder scored A1 in all his eight subjects,
including English Language and
Mathematics.
By this accomplishment, the 18-year-old
has become the current holder of WAEC’s
national distinction/merit award instituted
by the council in 1984 to encourage
academic excellence.
The authorities of the West African
Examinations Council honoured Nder and
two other pupils on Thursday in Akure,
Ondo State.
The other two national distinction/merit
award winners are Miss Mildred
Oguejiofor and Quadri Raji.
The duo also scored A1 in all their eight
subjects, including English Language and
Mathematics.
Nder, who attended Vaatia College,
Makurdi, Benue State with examination
number 4081345/036, also had A1 in
Further Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry,
Economics, Geography, Biology. He had a
cumulative score of 659.9318.
The lad, whose feat has made Vaatia
College to become the 2014 winner of
the Omo N’Oba Erediauwa trophy for
producing the best male WASSCE
candidate, is currently studying Software
Engineering at the Saint Petersburg
Electro-Technical University, Russia.
Anambra State-born Oguejiofor, who sat
for the examination at Marist
Comprehensive College, Nteje, with
examination number 4052015/097,
obtained A1 in Data Processing,
Economics, Civic Education, Biology,
Chemistry, and Physics.
The 18-year-old with a total score of
648.5706, has also placed her school on
the excellence radar. Her school has
become the 2014 Omo N’Oba Erediauwa
trophy holder for producing the best
female WASSCE candidate.
She is currently studying Medicine and
Surgery at the University of Nigeria,
Nsukka.
On the WAEC’s third placed National
Distinction/Merit award chart is 17-year-
old, Raji.
Raji, who garnered a cumulative score
point of 640.2125, studied at St. Francis
Catholic Secondary School, Idimu, Lagos.
Apart from English and Mathematics, he
also obtained A1 in Computer Studies,
Physics, Chemistry, Further Mathematics,
Civic Education and Christian Religious
Studies.
Born on November 22, 1998, Raji is
presently Studying Petroleum Engineering
at the University of Lagos.
To be considered for the 31-year-old
distinction award, a candidate must obtain
Grade 1 in at least seven subjects,
including English Language, Mathematics,
one of Physics, Chemistry and Biology,
and one subject from any of the three
sub-categories of core subjects.
In addition, the candidate must obtain a
minimum of Grade 6 in at least one
subject from each of the core subject sub-
categories.
Candidates are considered under the
Merit awards only if enough participants
do not qualify for the distinction awards.
The eligibility criteria for the Merit awards
are the same as those of Distinction
awards, except that a candidate must
obtain a grade not lower than 2 in English
Language.
The results of candidates eligible for an
award should have been obtained at the
first attempt and at the same sitting. The
grades would also have been obtained
without any hint of impropriety.
The first National Distinction/Merit
awards were presented in Abeokuta,
Ogun State in 1985 to the winners in the
Nov/Dec 1984 SC/GCE, with Abdulkadir
Sarki-Abba, a pupil of Government Science
School, Dawakin-Tofa, Kano State,
receiving the excellence award.
