The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has defended its decision to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination centre in Ottawa, Canada, saying the initiative is intended to improve access to Nigerian tertiary education rather than generate revenue.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, said the planned centre would enable Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America to sit the UTME without having to travel to another region to take the examination.
The centre is expected to begin operations from the 2027 UTME.
Registrar Responds to Questions Over the Plan
Aina addressed questions surrounding the initiative in a series of posts on X on Tuesday.
The planned Canadian centre has attracted public attention, particularly over whether the number of potential candidates would justify establishing an examination facility outside Nigeria.
However, the registrar said candidate numbers were not the principal factor behind JAMB’s decision to operate examination centres abroad.
He explained that the board already conducts the UTME in about 10 foreign countries as part of its effort to make the examination accessible to eligible candidates.
Foreign Centres Are Designed to Expand Access
According to Aina, JAMB’s international examination centres are intended to provide access to Nigerians who live outside the country but still require the UTME for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
He pointed out that the board also conducts examinations in correctional service centres, demonstrating that access rather than commercial considerations can determine where examination facilities are provided.
Aina said JAMB has several centres across Africa but had not previously established one in North America.
The proposed Ottawa facility would therefore address what he described as a gap in geographical access.
Nigerians Abroad Could Benefit From the Ottawa Centre
The registrar said the centre could serve Nigerians who relocate abroad for different reasons, including families of Nigerian public servants posted overseas.
He suggested that people returning to Nigeria from abroad are among those who could require access to the UTME, while the children of Nigerians serving on overseas assignments could also benefit from the arrangement.
JAMB has also received enquiries from prospective candidates, with the board expecting interest to increase following the announcement of the Canadian centre.
More Than 100 Candidates Have Already Shown Interest
JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin separately defended the initiative, saying there were already indications of significant interest among Nigerians in Canada.
Benjamin said more than 100 prospective candidates had indicated that they wanted to sit the examination in Canada.
He urged Nigerians to seek clarification about the initiative before criticising the board’s decision and argued that efforts to make Nigerian university admissions more accessible internationally should be supported.
JAMB Will Use the Nigerian High Commission
Aina also sought to address concerns about the cost of establishing and maintaining a centre in Canada.
He explained that JAMB does not necessarily acquire permanent buildings or establish standalone computer-based testing facilities in countries where it conducts examinations.
Instead, the board works with Nigerian diplomatic missions, using temporary spaces within high commission premises and relying on available staff to assist with the conduct of the examination.
The Ottawa UTME centre is expected to follow the same arrangement, allowing JAMB to keep operating costs relatively low.
No Money Has Yet Been Spent on the Canadian Centre
The registrar further disclosed that JAMB had not spent any money on the proposed centre so far.
Aina said the initiative began after he travelled to Canada to attend a conference and used the opportunity to establish contact that could facilitate the examination arrangement.
He stressed that the board does not maintain permanent facilities in Ottawa and that the UTME would be conducted within the Nigerian High Commission’s premises.
JAMB Rejects Financial Viability as the Main Test
Aina maintained that the establishment of foreign UTME centres should not be judged primarily by their financial returns.
He argued that the fundamental objective was to ensure that eligible Nigerians living abroad could still access the admission process for Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.
The registrar also responded to questions about whether there was sufficient demand in North America, noting that the absence of an examination centre previously meant prospective candidates in the region could not easily participate there.
Ottawa Centre Expected to Open for 2027 UTME
The proposed Ottawa facility follows JAMB’s broader efforts to extend access to its examination beyond Nigeria.
Once operational, it will provide Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America with a local option for taking the UTME.
JAMB’s decision has generated debate over demand, cost and the purpose of establishing overseas examination centres, but the board insists that the Ottawa initiative is primarily about removing geographical barriers for eligible candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
