The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and Rite Foods Limited will on Tuesday reward seven Nigerian undergraduates with ₦5 million each at the inaugural Academic Excellence Recognition Award Ceremony in Lagos, marking the first time the examination body has instituted a cash prize of this scale for outstanding students from the 2025 admission exercise.

JAMB's Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that "each of the seven award recipients will receive ₦5 million in recognition of their exceptional performance in both the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the respective Post UTME or institutional screening exercises conducted by their admitting Universities."

The seven beneficiaries were selected through what the Board described as a transparent, rigorous, and merit based selection process. Six of the awardees represent Nigeria's six geopolitical zones, while the seventh prize is reserved for the highest performing admitted candidate living with a disability.

The institutions represented include the University of Lagos (South West), the University of Uyo (South South), the Federal University of Technology Owerri (South East), the Federal University of Applied Sciences Kachia (North West), the University of Maiduguri (North East), and the Federal University of Technology Minna (North Central).

JAMB noted that the disability category awardee is also from the University of Lagos, making it the only Institution with two recipients in this maiden edition.

The ceremony is expected to draw 300 participants, including the Minister of Education, JAMB Registrar Prof. Isahq Oloyede, Vice Chancellors, heads of regulatory agencies, principal officers of Tertiary Institutions, education stakeholders, development partners, corporate leaders, students, and members of the media.

The Board stated that the collaboration with Rite Foods reflects both organisations' commitment to promoting academic excellence and inspiring young Nigerians to pursue educational achievement.