Deeper Life Suleja Region Rewards Top UTME Achievers to Inspire Academic Excellence

In a bid to inspire academic excellence among youths, the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Suleja Region, Niger State, has rewarded its top-performing candidates in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with cash prizes.

The presentation ceremony, held on Saturday in Suleja, was presided over by the Regional Overseer, Pastor Samuel Ndagi, who commended the students for their diligence and outstanding performance.

Miss Faith Emmanuel, who scored 279 points, received a ₦100,000 cash prize, courtesy of the Deeper Life Schools Outreach (DLSO) programme.

Miss Deborah Emmanuel, who scored 275, received ₦70,000, while Miss Favour Ussaini, with a score of 268, went home with ₦50,000.
Pastor Ndagi said the initiative was designed to reward hard work and encourage academic discipline among the church’s growing youth population.

“The purpose of this 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 her youths but also their academic excellence. We want them to stand out wherever they are found.”

He prayed for the awardees and urged them to keep striving for greater success in all areas of their endeavours.

In his remarks, Sir Favour Amakor, the Regional Youth and DLSO Coordinator, explained that the award scheme, which began in 2023, sets a minimum benchmark of 250 marks in the UTME — a standard the church plans to raise to 280 in 2026.

“We introduced this reward system after observing the performance of our youths in previous years,” Amako said. “Since then, the results have improved significantly. Last year’s performance was higher than the previous year’s, and this year’s is the best so far. We believe that next year will be even better.”

According to him, a total of seven students have been honoured since the initiative began — one in 2023, three in 2024, and three in 2025. The awards, he added, are sponsored through the Deeper Life Schools Outreach, a youth arm of the church committed to promoting spiritual and academic excellence and moral discipline among students.

The star prize winner, Miss Faith Emmanuel, who has since resumed a degree programme in Criminology and Security Studies at a private university in Minna, was represented by her father, Mr. Emmanuel Bassey.

“As parents, we are grateful for the church’s efforts to motivate our children,” Bassey said. “This recognition shows that hard work still pays.”

The first runner-up, Miss Deborah Emmanuel, expressed gratitude for the gesture, saying: “I’m thankful for this cash award from Deeper Life. I intend to use part of the money to learn a skill that will be useful in the future. It’s a great encouragement for me to study harder and perform even better.”

Similarly, Miss Favour Ussaini, who recently gained admission to the University of Benin to study Medical Microbiology, said: “I’m so glad to be among the top three in the region. I appreciate the church for this reward, and I’ll use part of the money for my school expenses. I also want to encourage other youths to aim high so they too can be rewarded.”

The Deeper Life Schools Outreach (DLSO) has continued to promote quality education and moral discipline among Nigerian youths, aligning with the church’s vision of raising academically sound and spiritually upright leaders.