Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has been declared the best-performing institution in Nigeria at the National Tertiary Admissions’ Performance-Merit Award (NATAP-M) for the combined admission years of 2023/2024 and 2024/2025.

With an impressive aggregate of 14 points across all five performance criteria of the mega award, ABU clinched the coveted first place and was awarded ₦500 million.

The University of Ilorin emerged as the first runner-up with nine points, receiving a ₦75 million prize, while the Nile University of Nigeria came third with six points and was awarded ₦25 million.

The winners were unveiled at the fifth edition of the NATAP-M awards, held during the 2025 JAMB Policy Meeting in Abuja on Monday. The awards, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), aim to promote healthy competition and reward excellence among tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

In the sectoral categories, Kaduna Polytechnic was named the best polytechnic with a total of 10 points, earning a ₦50 million prize. The Federal College of Education, Zaria, took the top spot among colleges of education with an aggregate of 18 points and received ₦50 million as well. PEFTI Film Institute, Lagos, was awarded ₦10 million as the best innovative enterprise institution, having scored four points.

JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, explained that the selection process was based on five key criteria. These included the highest number of candidates seeking admission into the institution, geographical diversity in admissions from all 36 states and the FCT, and the admission of at least 1,500 candidates. Additional considerations were the equitable distribution of admissions among catchment areas, the number of foreign candidates admitted, improvements in gender balance, and compliance with the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) guidelines.

According to Oloyede, the NATAP-M awards are part of JAMB’s broader commitment to promoting transparency, equity, and merit in Nigeria’s tertiary admissions process.