JAMB Reveals How Top Institutions Share in ₦2.42 Billion Merit-Based Awards

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that a total of N2.42 billion has been allocated to higher education institutions through five editions of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance Merit Award (NATAP-M) since its inception in 2018.

The board disclosed that N710 million was granted to six tertiary institutions during this year’s edition of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance Merit Award (NATAP-M).

JAMB Registrar Is-haq Oloyede declared the winners for this year’s awards, mentioning that the institutions were evaluated based on five criteria.

He made this statement in Abuja at the 2025 policy meeting regarding admissions to tertiary institutions and the fifth iteration of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Award (NATAP-M), which combines the 2023 and 2024 merit awards.

Since the implementation of the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) in 2017, the board established the performance merit award in 2018 to reward tertiary institutions for adhering to its admission processes.

In the 2025 awards for tertiary institutions, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, was recognized as the overall winner with 14 points and received N500 million, while the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) placed second with nine points, earning N75 million.

Nile University of Nigeria (UN), a private institution located in Abuja, secured the position of second runner-up with six points and N25 million.

During the award ceremony, the winners were presented with dummy checks.

Oloyede specified that the selection criteria included the institution with the highest number of candidates seeking admission from it and one that admits candidates from every state, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Additional criteria included institutions that admitted at least 1,500 candidates overall and those with the most equitable distribution of admitted candidates among their catchment states (or all states in the case of specialized military institutions).

Further criteria included institutions with the highest number of foreign candidate admissions, the most significant progress in gender balance, and the best compliance with the guidelines for admissions through the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS).

The NATAP-M awards also feature sector-specific awards for polytechnics, colleges of education, and innovation enterprise institutions (IEI).

Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna, was recognized as the top polytechnic with an aggregate of 10 points, while the Federal College of Education, Zaria, was recognized as the best college of education with a total of 18 points, both receiving N50 million.

The PEFTI Film Institute, Lagos, was named the best IEI, achieving an aggregate of four points and securing an N10 million prize.

JAMB indicated that to ensure the monetary benefits associated with the award are used by the winning institutions to enhance their service delivery in areas such as teaching, assessment, sports development, environmental matters, and knowledge dissemination, the board has mandated that each winner submit a project for which the funds will be utilized.

Upon the project’s completion or the acquisition of the service or item, the board’s support is typically acknowledged with the prominent display of its logo on the project.

In addition, JAMB has reiterated that a total of N2.42 billion has been distributed to higher education institutions through five editions of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance Merit Award (NATAP-M) since its launch in 2018.

The awards, initiated in 2018 under the administration of Professor Is-haq Oloyede, aim to recognize tertiary institutions that adhere to admission guidelines and foster healthy competition among them.

The inaugural edition of the awards took place in 2019 and included five categories, such as the institutions with the highest number of candidates, the institution that excelled nationally in terms of admissions spread, and the one that attracted the most international students.

Other categories recognized the most-improved institution for increasing female student intake and the institution that best adhered to the established guidelines.

Among those honored in the first edition were the University of Ilorin, the University of Maiduguri, Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Rivers State University, and Kaduna Polytechnic, which together were awarded N125 million in prize money.

In the first NATAP-M awards of 2019, a total of N500 million was distributed. The third edition, which took place on July 21, 2022, also featured N500 million in prizes for the winning institutions.

The fourth edition, which combined awards for the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic years and was held in 2024, presented a cash prize of N710 million, with the University of Ilorin receiving the top honor.

The fifth edition, conducted on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, for the 2023/2024 academic year, also had a total prize pool of N710 million, with Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria winning the grand award of N500 million.

Research carried out by the board has indicated that the NATAP-M Awards have greatly enhanced adherence to admission guidelines and encouraged healthy competition among institutions.