Maryam Umar, a 26-year-old woman from Gombe State who was born without both arms, has graduated with a degree in Economics from Gombe State University after overcoming financial hardship and physical challenges that once threatened to end her university dream.
Maryam’s graduation marks the culmination of a remarkable journey that began with uncertainty in 2023, when she secured admission to study Economics but struggled to raise the money required to begin her university education.
At the time, Maryam had completed her secondary education and scored 182 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. She had also obtained the required credits, including English Language and Mathematics, but her family’s financial situation made it difficult for her to take up the admission.
She needed about N81,322.50 for registration and school fees, an amount that was beyond what her parents could afford.
Despite being born without arms, Maryam had already developed an extraordinary level of independence. She writes with her toes, performs household chores with her feet and has consistently refused to allow her physical condition to determine the limits of her ambitions.
Her struggle eventually attracted attention, leading to an intervention that would change the course of her education.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities awarded Maryam a scholarship worth N1.68 million to cover the four years of her university education. The support included annual registration fees, feeding, transportation and academic expenses.
The scholarship also went beyond conventional financial assistance.
Maryam received a laptop, a voice recorder and a specialised table and chair designed to support her studies. She was also provided with a stipend of N130,000 per semester to assist with feeding, transportation and other academic needs.
The intervention came after her situation was brought to public attention, prompting the university lecturers’ union to investigate her circumstances and commit to supporting her throughout her studies.
For Maryam, the assistance meant more than having her school fees paid. It gave her the opportunity to pursue an ambition that could easily have been lost to poverty.
Years later, that opportunity has produced a significant result.
Maryam has successfully completed her Economics degree at Gombe State University, turning what once looked like an impossible university journey into a story of determination, support and achievement.
Her academic journey was particularly notable because she continued to pursue her studies despite the practical challenges associated with living without arms.
Her story has also challenged the tendency to view disability only through the lens of limitation. Maryam has demonstrated that with determination and appropriate support, people living with disabilities can pursue education and compete for opportunities on their own terms.
Her graduation is therefore not simply a personal achievement. It also highlights the importance of removing financial and accessibility barriers that prevent people with disabilities from reaching their potential.
Maryam has expressed gratitude to her family, ASUU and others who supported her throughout the journey, acknowledging the people who stood by her from the difficult period before her admission to the day she completed her degree.
The intervention also demonstrates the potential impact of timely support.
When Maryam first secured admission, the barrier standing between her and university was not a lack of academic ability. She had earned her admission and met the necessary academic requirements. The immediate obstacle was simply the inability to afford the cost of starting.
That distinction matters.
For many young Nigerians, particularly those from financially disadvantaged households, academic potential does not always translate into educational opportunity. A relatively modest financial barrier can determine whether an admission offer becomes a university degree or remains an unfulfilled opportunity.
Maryam’s experience shows what can happen when that barrier is removed.
Her journey from seeking help to register for university to eventually graduating with an Economics degree is also a reminder that disability should not be treated as a reason to lower expectations.
What Maryam needed was not pity. She needed an opportunity, the right support and an environment in which she could demonstrate what she was capable of achieving.
She has now done exactly that.
As she begins the next chapter of her life, Maryam’s graduation stands as a powerful example of resilience and the difference that targeted educational support can make.
From a young woman worried that poverty could prevent her from entering university to a graduate celebrating the completion of her Economics degree, her story has come full circle.
And perhaps the most important lesson from her journey is simple: sometimes, what stands between a determined student and a better future is not ability, but whether someone is willing to help remove the barrier in front of them.
