The Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Suleja Region, in Niger State, has presented cash awards to its best-performing candidates in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as part of efforts to promote academic excellence among youths.
The Regional Overseer, Pastor Samuel Ndagi, made the presentation on Sunday during a church service in Suleja, where he commended the students for their dedication and hard work.
The top prize of ₦100,000 went to Miss Faith Emmanuel, who scored 279 points in the 2025 UTME. Miss Deborah Emmanuel, who scored 275 points, received ₦70,000, while Miss Favour Ussaini, with 268 points, was awarded ₦50,000.
Pastor Ndagi said the initiative was part of the church’s commitment to encouraging diligence and excellence among its young members.
“The purpose of the award is to stir up other youths in the church to perform at their best and to discourage laziness,” he said.
“Deeper Life is not only concerned about the spiritual welfare of the youth but also their academic progress. We want them to stand out wherever they find themselves.”
He prayed for the awardees, urging them to continue to excel in their studies and future endeavours.
Speaking on the programme, the Regional Youth and Deeper Life Schools Outreach (DLSO) Coordinator, Mr. Favour Amakor, said the reward scheme, which began in 2023, had already produced encouraging results.
According to him, the church set a benchmark of 250 points for eligibility, which would be raised to 280 points in 2026 to further challenge students to aim higher.
“Since we started, the results have been improving yearly. Last year’s performance was better than the previous one, and this year’s is the highest so far,” he noted.
“So far, we have rewarded seven candidates — one in 2023, three in 2024, and three in 2025.”
The star prize winner, Miss Faith Emmanuel, who was represented by her father, Mr. Emmanuel Bassey, was unable to attend as she had already begun a degree programme in Criminology and Security Studies at a private university in Minna.
The first runner-up, Miss Deborah Emmanuel, expressed gratitude for the recognition, saying she plans to use part of the money to acquire a skill.
“This award has encouraged me to study harder and perform better in future,” she said.
Similarly, Miss Favour Ussaini, who recently gained admission into the University of Benin to study Medical Microbiology, thanked the church leadership for the gesture.
“I’m happy to be among the top three. This reward means a lot to me, and I encourage other youths to do well so they can also benefit,” she said.
The Deeper Life Schools Outreach (DLSO) initiative continues to serve as a platform for motivating young members of the church to combine spiritual growth with academic excellence.