The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in collaboration with Rite Foods Limited, will on Tuesday present cash awards of ₦5 million each to seven outstanding Nigerian undergraduates at the maiden Academic Excellence Recognition Award Ceremony in Lagos.

The initiative is designed to recognise and reward exceptional academic achievement demonstrated during the 2025 admission exercise.

In a statement issued on Sunday by JAMB's Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin, the examination body said each of the seven award recipients was selected based on outstanding performance in both the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and the Post-UTME or institutional screening conducted by their respective universities.

According to the statement, the beneficiaries emerged through a transparent, rigorous and merit-based selection process coordinated by JAMB.

The board explained that six of the awardees represent Nigeria's six geopolitical zones, while the seventh recipient is the highest-performing admitted candidate living with a disability.

The beneficiaries are students of 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 further disclosed that the recipient of the special award for the highest-performing admitted candidate living with a disability is also a student of the University of Lagos, making the institution the only university with two awardees in the inaugural edition of the programme.

The board said the ceremony is expected to attract more than 300 participants, including the Minister of Education, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, vice-chancellors, heads of regulatory agencies, principal officers of tertiary institutions, education stakeholders, development partners, corporate leaders, students and members of the media.

According to JAMB, its partnership with Rite Foods Limited reflects the shared commitment of both organisations to promoting academic excellence, rewarding merit and encouraging young Nigerians to strive for outstanding educational achievement.