A 26-year-old woman born without both arms, Maryam Umar, has graduated with a degree in Economics from Gombe State University after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) awarded her a N1.68 million scholarship to support her education.
Maryam’s graduation comes three years after she appealed for financial assistance to enable her to take up her admission into the university.
She secured admission to study Economics after completing her secondary education in 2022 and scoring 182 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. However, financial difficulties nearly prevented her from beginning her university education.
At the time, Maryam said her parents could not afford the N81,322.50 required for her registration and school fees.
She writes and performs household activities with her toes. Following a report by The PUNCH on her situation, her case attracted the attention of the national leadership of ASUU.
The then Bauchi Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Lawal Abubakar, said the union directed the ASUU branch at Gombe State University to verify Maryam’s circumstances after the report was published.
He said the information was confirmed and the national leadership of the union subsequently decided to sponsor her education.
According to Abubakar, the N1.68 million scholarship was designed to cover Maryam’s academic and welfare needs throughout the four-year programme.
The scholarship covered her registration fees, feeding, transportation and academic allowance.
The former ASUU Chairperson at Gombe State University, Dr Suleiman Jauro, also encouraged persons living with disabilities to pursue their aspirations despite the challenges they may face.
Jauro described Maryam as an example of determination and resilience, saying her desire to obtain an education had inspired the union to support her.
The support provided by ASUU went beyond tuition and registration fees. According to Jauro, the union also provided some assistive items required to support Maryam’s studies, including a voice recorder, specialised table and chair and a laptop.
The union also provided her with a N130,000 stipend every semester to support her feeding and academic expenses.
Jauro credited The PUNCH’s report with bringing Maryam’s situation to the attention of ASUU leadership.
He said the union would not have known about her circumstances without the publication, describing the intervention as an example of the impact journalism can have in connecting people in need with opportunities for support.
Three years after the intervention, Maryam has now completed her Economics degree at Gombe State University.
In a message celebrating her graduation, she expressed gratitude to her family, friends, ASUU and others who supported her throughout her university journey.
“I’m grateful to those who made this dream a reality. I thank you all from ASUU, to others numerous to mention for standing by me this past years. May your Allah reward you all with paradise,” she said.
Maryam’s journey from a young woman who feared that financial hardship would end her university dream to a university graduate highlights the role of institutional support, journalism and personal determination in creating educational opportunities for persons living with disabilities.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.