2016: Why admission crisis may rock Nigerian Universities

Prospective admission seekers into Nigerian universities are at a loss over the procedure for gaining admission into the universities following the abolition of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Many students had prepared for the UTME prior to the hard stance of the Education Minister, Mallam Adamau Adamu, who insisted that the universities screening exams should be abolished and remained banned. Banning Post UTME in Universities In a combined policy meeting on admissions to universities, polytechnics and other higher institutions in Nigeria, Adamu said since the federal government and the Nigerian public have confidence in the examinations conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, there was no need for other examinations to be conducted by universities after the JAMB exams. According to him,“As far as I am concerned, the nation has confidence in what JAMB is doing, the universities should not be holding another examination and if the universities have any complaints against JAMB, let them bring it and then we address it. But if JAMB is qualified enough to conduct tests and they have conducted test, then there will be no need to conduct another test for students to gain admission “The ministry expects that all candidates given admission must be from JAMB. But JAMB must stop issuing admission letters. JAMB should get in touch with the institutions before offering admission to students. The closing date is November 30th and no university should exceed its admission capacity and any tertiary institution that doesn’t follow the rule, the ministry would start sanctioning them.” While the statement by the education minister may be seen as informal, the ministry as a follow up, made a press release banning all higher institutions from conducting any further examination besides the exam conducted by JAMB for the purposes of admission, warning that any institution found culpable would face necessary sanctions. The statement was issued on behalf of the minister by the ministry’s deputy director of press and public relations, Mr. Ben Goong. The ban, in the release, was with immediate effect and directed all institutions to comply without raising eye brows.