Federal Government denies scrapping JAMB.

The news which went viral last week which claimed that the Federal Government of Nigeria under the APC has scrapped the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board JAMB has been refuted by the Federal Government as false.

In a statement issued on Thursday last week by one Boriowo Folasade, who is said to be the Director of Press and Public Relations, the ministry described the claims as false, malicious and misleading.

Umuaka Times gathered that the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa emphasized that the Federal Government of Nigeria did not in any way scrap JAMB as it remains the only authorized route to gain admission into tertiary institutions and universities in Nigeria.

The Ministry of Education used the opportunity and appealed to the public, students, parents and more to always rely on the official communications channels of the institution for news and updates.

The false news before it was refuted had gone viral and made many secondary school students deeply very happy after hearing of the death of “JAMB monster”. In the past, many Nigerians and stakeholders in the education had called for the removal of JAMB from the academic calendar of the nation. They argued that universities should conduct their individual examinations for new students.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has a rich history dating back to April 1978 when it was established by the military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo. JAMB was created to regulate and coordinate admissions into Nigerian universities, with the primary goal of streamlining the university admissions process and ensuring fairness and equity for all applicants. Initially, JAMB conducted paper-based tests, but with technological advancements, it introduced Computer-Based Testing (CBT) in 2013, making the examination process more efficient and secure.

Over time, JAMB’s mandate expanded to include admissions into polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education, transforming it into Nigeria’s largest tertiary entrance examination body. Umuaka Times gathered that in 1989, JAMB was restructured and renamed to reflect its broader role in the admission process.  In 2005 online platforms for JAMB past questions and answers were introduced, revolutionizing exam preparation while in 2013, CBT was introduced, enhancing the credibility and integrity of the examination process. Fast forward to 2019, biometric verification was introduced to further enhance examination security.

Today, JAMB plays a crucial role in Nigeria’s tertiary education system, conducting the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and ensuring transparency and fairness in admissions.