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The JAMB undergraduate award will reward seven outstanding students with N5 million each, in a partnership between the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and Rite Foods Limited. The prize money totals N35 million.
The Gist
- JAMB and Rite Foods to reward seven students
- Each winner receives N5 million
- One slot reserved for student with disability
The recipients will be honoured at a maiden Academic Excellence Recognition Award ceremony in Lagos on Tuesday, 30 June 2026.
How the JAMB undergraduate award works
Selection is strictly merit-based. It combines each candidate’s performance in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination with their Post-UTME or institutional screening results.
Six of the awardees represent one geopolitical zone each. The seventh slot is reserved for the highest-performing admitted candidate living with a disability.
That structure is deliberate. It spreads recognition across the country while making room for inclusion.
Who the winners are
The recipients are drawn from federal universities nationwide. The University of Lagos produced two, including the disability-category winner alongside the South-West awardee.
The University of Uyo represents the South-South, while the Federal University of Technology Owerri stands for the South-East. The Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, takes the North-West slot.
The University of Maiduguri represents the North-East, and the Federal University of Technology, Minna, the North-Central zone. Each will collect N5 million.
A boost for young talent
The scheme rewards effort at the very start of a student’s degree, when financial pressure often bites hardest. For many families, N5 million is a meaningful cushion.
JAMB’s outgoing registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, is expected at the ceremony. The board has framed the initiative as a way to celebrate merit and motivate younger candidates.
A growing role for JAMB partnerships
JAMB conducts the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination for millions of candidates each year. The exam is the main gateway into Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.
Rite Foods Limited, the board’s partner here, is a Nigerian food and beverage manufacturer. Its backing turns a single ceremony into a national talking point about merit.
Organisers say the maiden edition could become an annual fixture. If it does, the prize pool and the number of beneficiaries could expand over time.
Recognition at a turning point
Professor Is-haq Oloyede has led JAMB through years of reforms aimed at credibility and transparency. The ceremony falls late in his tenure as registrar.
For the awardees, the timing matters. Public recognition at the start of their studies can open doors to mentorship and further support.
The disability slot also sends a signal about inclusion. It places a high-performing candidate with a disability on the same stage as the zonal winners.
Why it matters
Nigeria’s tertiary system enrols millions through JAMB each year, and stories of reward, not just struggle, are rare. Public recognition of top performers can shift how students view the exam.
It also points to a model where private firms back education directly. If more companies follow Rite Foods, the pool of support for high achievers could grow.
For the seven winners, the award is both cash and validation. It marks their names at the beginning of what their schools hope will be standout academic careers.
Source: JAMB
