From Uji A. Iliyasu, Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in partnership with Rite Foods Limited, is set to host the Maiden Academic Excellence Recognition Award Ceremony in Lagos on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, celebrating seven exceptional Nigerian students who distinguished themselves through outstanding academic performance during the 2025 admission exercise.
JAMB’s spokesperson,. Dr. Fabian Benjamin, disclosed that the initiative, sponsored by Rite Foods Limited, underscores the shared commitment of both organisations to promoting academic excellence, rewarding merit and inspiring young Nigerians to pursue educational achievement.
Each of the seven awardees will receive N5 million in recognition of their exceptional performance in both the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the Post-UTME or institutional screening conducted by their respective admitting universities.
The recipients emerged through a rigorous, transparent and merit-based selection process coordinated by JAMB.
Six of the winners represent the six geopolitical zones of the country, while the seventh award recognises the highest-performing admitted candidate living with a disability.
The winning candidates hail from 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 Federal University of Technology, Minna (North-Central).
The University of Lagos also produced the recipient of the award for Candidate Living with Disability, making it the only institution with two awardees at this maiden edition.
The ceremony is expected to attract over 300 distinguished guests from across Nigeria’s education sector, government, academia and the corporate community.
Expected dignitaries include the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa; JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede; Vice Chancellors of the award-winning candidates’ universities, as well as Executive Secretaries and 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), among other education stakeholders, development partners, corporate leaders and members of the media.
