Suleja:The Deeper Life Bible Church, Suleja Region in Niger State, has announced an increase in the benchmark for its Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) Champions Award to 280.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Pastor Samuel Ndagi, the Region Overseer, made this announcement during the UTME 2026 award ceremony held in Suleja. Initially, in 2024, the award was open to the highest-scoring youths in the church without a specific benchmark. However, the church later raised the qualification score to 250, encouraging more youth to achieve higher scores in their exams.
Ndagi stated that the new benchmark of 280 will commence in 2027, aiming to inspire academic excellence among the church’s younger members while maintaining their spiritual well-being. The highest scorer in the 2026 UTME was Miss Joanita Jude, who achieved 304 points, followed by Miss Precious Ajah with 273 points and Master Chidera Ejikeme with 269 points.
The church awarded cash prizes of N100,000, N70,000, and N50,000 to Mis
s Jude, Miss Ajah, and Master Ejikeme, respectively, at the ceremony attended by numerous congregants. Ndagi expressed hopes for the continued success of the awardees in their academic pursuits.
Miss Jude, who aspires to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, expressed her gratitude, stating the award would aid her educational journey. Her mother, Mrs. Chika Jude, expressed immense pride in her daughter’s success and encouraged other parents to support their children’s academic endeavors.
Miss Ajah, who will study Pharmacy at David Umahi Federal University, emphasized the importance of the church’s encouragement and motivation for students. Her mother, Mrs. Blessing Ajah, appreciated the church’s support and prayed for its continued success.
Master Ejikeme, currently at Rhema University for Medicine and Surgery, was represented by his father, who praised the church for its role in his son’s achievements.
The UTME Champions Award has also inspired younger students like Miss Faith
Olayemi, Miss Victory Jonathan, and Miss Victoria Michael to strive for academic excellence, with aspirations to earn similar recognition in the future.