Seven Nigerian undergraduates who distinguished themselves during the 2025 admission exercise will receive ₦5 million each as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in partnership with Rite Foods Limited, launches its maiden Academic Excellence Recognition Awards.
The award ceremony is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, June 30, in Lagos, where the beneficiaries will be recognised for their outstanding performances in both the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the post-UTME or screening exercises conducted by their respective universities.
The initiative, sponsored by Rite Foods Limited, is aimed at rewarding academic excellence, encouraging merit-based achievement, and inspiring more young Nigerians to pursue educational success.
According to JAMB, the recipients emerged through a transparent and merit-based selection process coordinated by the examination body. Six of the awardees represent Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, while the seventh award is reserved for the highest-performing admitted candidate living with a disability.
The winning institutions include the University of Lagos (South-West), University of Uyo (South-South), Federal University of Technology, Owerri (South-East), Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia (North-West), University of Maiduguri (North-East), and the Federal University of Technology, Minna (North-Central).
The University of Lagos also produced the recipient of the award for the highest-performing candidate living with a disability, making it the only institution with two award recipients in the inaugural edition.
JAMB said the event is expected to attract more than 300 participants from Nigeria’s education sector, including government officials, university administrators, regulatory agencies, development partners, corporate organisations, students and members of the media.
Expected dignitaries include the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa; JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede; vice-chancellors of the awardees’ institutions and universities across Lagos State; as well as the chief executives of the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and other key education stakeholders.
The award programme marks the first collaborative initiative between JAMB and Rite Foods aimed at recognising exceptional academic performance among newly admitted undergraduates.
