PROFILE: The Genius That Was Made to Rewrite WASSCE After Scoring 9 Distinctions

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 By Victor Olubiye



Meet Sarki Abba from Kano State Nigeria, the genius that was made to rewrite WASSCE after scoring 9 distinctions.

In 1984, 16 year-old Abba, a student of Science Secondary School Dawakin Tofa, scored 9 distinctions (8 A1s and 1 A2) in his West African School Certificate Examination( WASSCE) equivalent of today's West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) Exams. 

Examination authorities in Lagos didn't believe Abba made those excellent scores without cheating. The authorities provided a car that took Abba to Lagos in order to retake the exam. 

Abba was made to take the 9 exams in a duration of 3 days, under heavy supervision. After marking the rescheduled exams, he scored 9 A1s (the only ‘A2’ he had in English Language before the retake, now became ‘A1’).

Faced with shock, the authorities apologized and instituted the National Merit Award. And, rightfully, Sarki Abba was the first recipient of the award. 

In 1989/90 school session, Sarki Abba graduated as OVERALL BEST Medical Student, and OVERALL BEST Graduating Student at ABU, Zaria— he was just 21.

Today, he is a Professor of Urological Research, and Professor of Urology and Pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA. 

He also serves as Co-Director of Cancer Global Health at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University IL, USA.

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