Suleja: The Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Suleja Region, Niger State, has presented cash rewards to the best 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates from the church. The Regional Overseer, Pastor Samuel Ndagi, made the presentation to the candidates on Sunday, in Suleja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Miss Faith Emmanuel, who scored 279 points in the 2025 UTME, was awarded a cheque of ?100,000, courtesy of the Deeper Life Schools Outreach (DLSO) programme. Miss Deborah Emmanuel, with a score of 275, received ?70,000, while Miss Favour Ussaini, who scored 268, received ?50,000. Pastor Ndagi stated that the church aims to reward hard work among its youth and encourage academic achievement. He emphasized that Deeper Life is committed to the spiritual and academic development of its young members.
The purpose of the award is to motivate other youths in the church to excel academically and discourage complacency. Pastor Ndagi encouraged the awardees to continue striving for excellence in all areas of their lives.
Mr Favour Amakor, the Regional Youth and DLSO Coordinator, noted that the award, initiated in 2023, initially required a minimum UTME score of 250 but will increase to 280 in 2026. He observed an improvement in the performance of the church’s youth since the inception of the reward system. Seven candidates have been recognized so far, with one in 2023, three in 2024, and three in 2025.
Miss Faith Emmanuel, the top prize winner, was represented by her father, Mr Emmanuel Bassey, as she was already pursuing a Criminology and Security degree at a private university in Minna. The first runner-up, Miss Deborah Emmanuel, expressed her gratitude and plans to use part of her award for skill development. Miss Favour Ussaini, another awardee, also thanked the church leadership and plans to use her prize for educational expenses, having gained admission to the University of Benin to study Medical Microbiology. She encouraged other youths to strive for excellence to become future beneficiaries.