UNILAG Leads As JAMB Set To Reward Seven Best UTME Candidates With N5 Million Each
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has emerged as the top-performing institution as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced plans to reward seven outstanding Nigerian undergraduates with N5 million each for their exceptional academic achievements.
A statement released on Sunday by JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said the beneficiaries, who emerged as the best candidates in the 2025 admission exercise, will be honoured at the maiden edition of the Academic Excellence Recognition Award Ceremony scheduled to hold in Lagos on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
The initiative, supported by Rite Foods Limited, is aimed at promoting academic excellence, rewarding merit and encouraging young Nigerians to pursue outstanding educational accomplishments.
According to JAMB, each of the seven award recipients will receive N5 million in recognition of their exceptional performances in both the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the respective post-UTME or institutional screening exercises conducted by their admitting universities.
The examination body said the awardees emerged through a rigorous, transparent and merit-based selection process. Six of the winners represent Nigeria's six geopolitical zones, while the seventh award is dedicated to the highest-performing admitted candidate living with a disability.
The winning candidates are drawn from the University of Lagos, which produced the South-West zonal winner and the recipient of the award for candidates living with disabilities; the University of Uyo, which produced the South-South zonal winner; the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, which produced the South-East winner; the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, which produced the North-West winner; the University of Maiduguri, which produced the North-East winner; and the Federal University of Technology, Minna, which produced the North-Central winner.
UNILAG stands out as the only institution to produce two award recipients in the maiden edition of the initiative, further cementing its reputation as one of Nigeria's leading centres of academic excellence.
More than 300 distinguished guests from Nigeria's education sector, government, academia and the corporate community are expected to attend the ceremony.
Expected dignitaries include the Minister of Education, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, vice-chancellors of the universities that produced the award recipients, vice-chancellors of universities in Lagos State, as well as chief executives of key regulatory agencies, including the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
Also expected at the event are principal officers of tertiary institutions, education stakeholders, development partners, corporate leaders, students and members of the media.
JAMB said the initiative underscores its shared commitment with Rite Foods Limited to promoting academic excellence, recognising merit and inspiring young Nigerians to strive for educational distinction.