10-year-old Nigerian Girl Enrolled At Open University

Meet a talented 10-year-old Nigerian girl, Esther Okade, who has been recently been accepted to study for a university maths degree in the UK.

Esther Okade

Esther spends her free time in a similar way to many other girls of her age. She plays with Barbie dolls and makes loom bands. But the main difference between the girl and other 10-year-old children is that she has been accepted to study for a university maths degree – despite not going to school.
Esther, from Walsall, West Midlands, UK, has enrolled on an Open University course months after she passed her A-levels. The talented girl has also confessed that she wants to study for a PhD before running her own bank and becoming a millionaire.



Unbelievably, the girl gained a C grade in her maths GCSE when she was 6 years old.
But Esther is not the only gifted child in her family. Her 6-year-old brother Isiah is already studying for his A-levels too.

Esther Okade and her younger brother.

Both siblings are home-schooled by their mother Omonefe, who is a mathematician. The woman has converted the living room of their semi-detached, three-bedroom house into a makeshift classroom.
‘Esther is doing so well. She took a test recently and scored 100 per cent. Applying to the university was an interesting process because of her age.
‘We even had to talk to the vice-chancellor. After they interviewed her they realised that this has been her idea from the beginning. From the age of seven Esther has wanted to go to university.
‘But I was afraid it was too soon. She would say, “Mum, when am I starting?”, and go on and on and on. Finally, after three years she told me, “Mum, I think it is about time I started university now”,’ the mother said.

Mrs Okade said that her daughter was extremely happy when she was accepted by the university.

Mrs Okade said that her daughter was extremely happy when she was accepted by the university and added that Esther would study for her degree at home.

‘For now we want her to enjoy her childhood as well as her maths. By the time she was four I had taught her the alphabet, her numbers, and how to add, subtract, multiply and division.
‘I saw that she loved patterns so developed a way of using that to teach her new things. I thought I would try her with algebra, and she loved it more than anything.’


Esther made her parents proud of her when she was accepted onto the course at the Open University. The girl’s father Paul, full of emotion, said:
‘I cannot tell you how happy and proud I am as a father. The desire of every parent is to see their children exceed them, and take the family name to great heights, and my children have done just that.’