Bomba Dauda
The Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia (FUASK), has recorded another major academic milestone as one of its students, Francis Luka Mendwas, emerged among the seven outstanding candidates nationwide selected for the prestigious Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Academic Excellence Recognition Award.
Mendwas, a Software Engineering student, will receive a cash prize of ₦5 million at the award ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Lagos.
The award, organised by JAMB in partnership with Rite Foods Limited, will see a total of ₦35 million presented to seven exceptional students in recognition of their outstanding performances in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and their respective universities’ post-UTME and admission screening exercises.
Mendwas was named the North-West representative, earning national recognition for his exceptional academic achievement.
According to a statement by JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the beneficiaries were selected through a rigorous, transparent and merit-based process. Six of the recipients represent Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, while the seventh is the highest-performing admitted candidate living with a disability.
Other awardees are drawn from the University of Lagos, University of Uyo, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, University of Maiduguri and the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
The ceremony is expected to attract more than 300 dignitaries, including the Minister of Education, Prof. Maruf Tunji Alausa; the outgoing JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede; the Vice-Chancellor of FUASK, Prof. William Barnabas Qurix; vice-chancellors from universities across the country; and heads of major tertiary education regulatory agencies.
The recognition is seen as another boost to FUASK’s growing reputation for academic excellence and its commitment to producing graduates capable of competing at the highest national level. Francis Luka Mendwas’ achievement also marks a significant milestone for the relatively young institution as it continues to establish itself among Nigeria’s leading universities.
