By Uche Amunike
The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Segun Aina, has explained why the board plans to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centre in Canada ahead of the 2027 examination.
According to him, the proposed centre in Ottawa is intended to improve access to education for Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America who wish to gain admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board registrar gave the explanation in a series of posts on X on Tuesday, following questions from members of the public about the planned centre.
He averred that JAMB currently conducts UTME in about 10 foreign countries, explaining that the initiative is primarily aimed at making it easier for eligible candidates abroad to participate in the examination.
He also stated the number of candidates was not the main factor considered when establishing examination centres outside Nigeria.
‘UTME is currently being written in about 10 countries as a service to enhance access to education,’ Aina said, adding that the board also conducts examinations in correctional service centres for the same reason.
The registrar noted that while the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board operates examination centres in several African countries, there had previously been no such centre in North America.
He explained that Nigerians relocate abroad every year for different reasons, including families of Nigerian public servants posted overseas. Such Nigerians, he said, may still want their children to pursue tertiary education in Nigeria.
Aina also dismissed concerns that the proposed centre would require JAMB to purchase or rent a permanent building and recruit additional staff.
He explained that the board partners with Nigerian diplomatic missions in countries where it conducts UTME. Temporary examination spaces are usually created within Nigerian High Commission premises, while diplomatic staff assist with the exercise.
The registrar further stated that no money had been spent on establishing the proposed Canadian centre.
He said the idea came during a visit to Canada for a conference, which provided an opportunity to establish contact with the Nigerian High Commission and explore the possibility of hosting the examination there.
Aina added that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board would not maintain a permanent computer-based test centre in Ottawa. Instead, the UTME would be conducted within the Nigerian High Commission’s premises to keep the cost of the exercise low.
The registrar maintained that JAMB’s foreign examination centres are not established mainly for financial returns but to make access to Nigerian tertiary education easier for eligible candidates living outside the country.
He also responded to concerns about demand for the proposed Canadian centre, explaining that candidates could not previously sit UTME in North America because there was no examination centre there.
JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, also defended the plan, saying more than 100 candidates had already indicated interest in sitting the examination in Canada.
Benjamin urged Nigerians to support initiatives aimed at promoting Nigerian universities and making them accessible to eligible students abroad.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board had earlier announced that the Ottawa centre would begin operations for the 2027 UTME, following Aina’s visit to the Nigerian High Commission in Canada.
The proposed centre is expected to provide Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America with a more convenient opportunity to sit the UTME and seek admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
