Sixteen Nigerian students have been named among the highest performing candidates globally in the 2025 Cambridge examination series, receiving "Top in the World" honours at a ceremony in Lagos.

The British Council Recognition and Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards, held at the Civic Centre on Friday, saw 156 awards presented to 118 learners from 47 schools across Nigeria for exceptional results in Cambridge IGCSE, O Level, and Cambridge International AS and A Level examinations.

The "Top in the World" category recognises students who achieve the highest mark globally in a single subject. Recipients included Oreoluwa Awe of Brookstone Schools for English as a Second Language (Speaking Endorsement), Anna Akerele of Meadow Hall College for Mathematics (without coursework), Denzel Granville of James Hope College, Lagos, for English as a Second Language (Count in Speaking), and Oriel Onyia of James Hope College, Lagos, for Religious Studies.

A further 77 students received "Top in Nigeria" awards for recording the highest mark in the country in individual subjects. Recipients included Oladepo Olabiyi of Lifeforte International High School for Biology, Halima Abdullahi of The Regent Secondary School, Abuja, for Accounting, and Emmanuella Ifeanyi Mbarie of Greenoak International School for Agriculture.

Another 56 learners were honoured with High Achievement awards for outstanding performance in less commonly taken subjects, while seven received Best Across awards for the highest cumulative marks across multiple subjects. Among them, Anas Johari of Oxbridge Tutorial College was named Best Across Four Cambridge International AS Levels, and Oriel Onyia of James Hope College earned Best Across Eight Cambridge IGCSEs.

Regional Director for Sub Saharan Africa at Cambridge International Education, Juan Visser, noted that Nigerian students record increasing success in Cambridge examinations annually. "The examinations they wrote are the same as those taken by learners in the United Kingdom, Italy, Dubai and South Africa. So, this is truly a global standard," he disclosed.

British Council Nigeria Country Director Donna McGowan described the awards as consistent with the organisation's commitment to helping young Nigerians build academic and future ready skills. Director of Examinations Eyitayo Akanji added that the results reflect sustained collaboration among schools, teachers, parents, and the British Council. "Excellence does not come by mistake. It requires preparation," he stated.