Education
JAMB remits N50bn to FG, expends N750m on CSR – Registrar
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Wednesday disclosed that it has remitted N50billion to the federal government’s coffers in the last six years.
The examination body also said it has expended N500m as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in support of Nigerian universities to increase their capacity to give admission to applicants every year in the last five years.
The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who made the disclosure in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, at a public lecture titled, “The Imperatives of JAMB in Tertiary Education in Nigeria”, as part of activities to mark this year’s Gbagura Day, said, it has increased the CSR to N750million this year.
He said, “Currently, over N50billion has been recorded as surplus in the past five years. Over N29billion of this has been returned directly to the CRF. About N11billion disbursed on capital projects, Corporate Social Responsibility, savings (about N6billion) and others in contrasts to about N52million that had been the cumulative return of the previous 40 years.”
He berated those calling for an extension of validity of results of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) of candidates, saying those behind the calls are acting in ignorance.
The JAMB registrar explained that score that is good enough for a year may never be good enough for any subsequent year with more brilliant candidates; owing to the limited carrying capacity, stressing that increasing the validity period will further compound the huge backlog of untreated admission requests and subscriptions to various institutions in the country.
“In recent times, some people have agitated for the retention of the results of the UTME for more than a year. But let us be clear on this. The validity of a purposeful examination as the UTME cannot be extended beyond the purpose for which it has been administered, thus the score of such an examination cannot be banked for future use as done with Certification Test.
“Other reasons why UTME scores cannot be banked and its validity could not be extended beyond a year include: each year’s examination has different standard in terms of test difficulty and comparability since a norm-referenced test is linked only to the test population of a particular year.
“The psychometrics for comparability demands a statistical procedure of linking and equating the mean, standard deviation and rank order of performance scores to be approximately the same for each validity year. This statistical factor must be equated in each year’s performance for adjustment and defensibility to the critical stakeholders on national combined selection; the purpose of the UTME is to align it with the current Year 1 (100 level) syllabus of tertiary institutions”.
“Change in syllabus may affect the validity and reliability of scores for candidates for different years; if fresh school leavers are to wait for all the earlier-school leavers to be admitted before they (the fresh) are considered, then the fresh ones would be unduly deprived even if they are more qualified than the earlier set”.
“The standard for each cohort is to take the best available each year rather than rank on age of test; admission in a given year depends on the carrying capacity of an institution and the performance of candidates at the examination viz-a-viz their chosen courses and programmes”.
Other parameters for admission such as Merit, Catchment Area, Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS), state of origin also play significant role”.
“A score that is good enough for a year may never be good enough for any subsequent year with more brilliant candidates;owing to the limited carrying capacity, increasing the validity period will further compound the huge backlog of untreated admission requests and subscriptions to various institutions.”
“Before the establishment of JAMB, the admission of prospective students was done by each university on its own. It was individualistic, chaotic and open to abuse as each institution set its own admission requirements without recourse to any central and coordinating statutory body”.
He said, “the establishment of JAMB has ensured a unified standard for the conduct of matriculation examination, harmonised entry requirements, ensured the placement of suitably qualified candidates into the nation tertiary institutions and strict compliance to admission guidelines”.
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“If a central body for the assessment and placement of qualified candidates to tertiary education institutions could be desired when the nation had only thirteen universities, it should be more desirable now than ever when we have more than nine hundred tertiary education institutions”.
While institutions determine institutional and programme cut-off marks and other Admission criteria in exercise of their autonomy, regulatory agencies (NUC, NBTE and NCCE) decide the admission quota for the institutions, the role of JAMB is to ensure that the set criteria are adhered to along with the extant policies so that no qualified candidate will be left behind.
“The existence of JAMB restraints tertiary institutions, particularly, public tertiary ones, from arbitrariness in the admission process. It also serves as arbiter between the institutions and the candidates”.
“In order to protect the sanctity and integrity of its UTME, the Board puts in place several measures to curb the menace of examination malpractice, ensures active participation of stakeholders through a number of standing committee set up to monitor the conduct of UTME”.
Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, has expelled a student, Goddy-Mbakwe Chimamaka Precious, for assaulting a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies.
The decision, conveyed in an official expulsion letter dated February 13, 2025, was signed by the Acting Registrar, Mr. Victor I. Modebelu.
The university stated that the expulsion followed recommendations from the Student Disciplinary Committee, which found Precious guilty of gross misconduct in violation of the institution’s disciplinary regulations, specifically Regulation 4 (SDR).
The incident, which sparked widespread outrage after a viral video surfaced online, reportedly involved Precious attacking Dr. Chukwudi Okoye, a lecturer in the department. Sources indicate that the altercation ensued after the lecturer interrupted a TikTok video she was recording on campus.
The expulsion letter, which confirmed the university’s zero-tolerance stance on indiscipline, directed Precious to vacate the school premises immediately and return any university property in her possession.
“The Ag. Vice-Chancellor has received the report from the Student Disciplinary Committee on the case of your assault on a lecturer from the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, which was found to be a gross misconduct and violation of the Students Disciplinary Regulations, particularly Regulation 4 (SDR).
“Consequently, the Ag. Vice-Chancellor has, on behalf of the University Senate, approved the Committee’s recommendation that you be expelled, and you are hereby expelled from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The expulsion takes immediate effect.
“You are expected to vacate the University premises immediately and return any University property in your possession,” the letter stated.
This development reinforces UNIZIK’s commitment to maintaining discipline and academic integrity within the institution.
The Adamawa State Government has launched a gender policy on education aimed at increasing girls’ access to quality learning opportunities.
Unveiled in Yola on Friday by the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr. Garba Pella, the policy was developed in partnership with the Jamal Hakeem Foundation and with support from the Malala Fund.
Represented by Mrs. Mary Yuwadi, Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at the Ministry of Education, Pella emphasized the policy’s focus on promoting gender equity in education.
“The goal of the policy is to build a just society devoid of discrimination, where women, men, girls, and boys are equitably integrated into all sectors of national development.
“It also aims to empower girls and women by equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to participate fully in society and achieve their potential,” he stated.
The commissioner reaffirmed the government’s commitment to integrating gender-responsive strategies into its education policies. These include encouraging gender-inclusive teaching techniques, forming gender clubs, and implementing measures to enhance girls’ school enrollment and retention.
Mr. Joel Jutum, Lead Consultant for Education Policy Development at the Jamal Hakeem Foundation, disclosed that the policy would be implemented over a three-year period, followed by a review and evaluation.
He stressed the need for effective execution, noting that, “The government is mandated to formulate policies, but we have domesticated the National Policy on Education to address specific gender issues in Adamawa.
“This way, policy implementers in the state can better understand the document and take necessary actions to narrow gender gaps in education.”
Jutum further highlighted major challenges affecting girls’ education in the state, including limited access to schooling, early and forced marriages, inadequate girls-only schools, and a shortage of female mentors.
He expressed optimism that the implementation of the policy would help eliminate these barriers and foster gender equality in education.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has urged the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and the Federal Ministry of Regional Development to prioritize investments in education as a means to combat poverty in the region.
Speaking at a meeting with NEDC management at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he was briefed on the Accelerated Senior Secondary Education Programme (ASSEP), Shettima commended the commission’s efforts in education, stating that such initiatives would leave a lasting legacy.
He described education as “the greatest leveller” that could uplift even the most disadvantaged individuals and stressed the need to sustain the momentum of the ASSEP initiative.
Highlighting the extreme poverty in the North East, Shettima compared the region’s situation to some of the poorest areas in the world and linked the rise of militant groups to these dire socioeconomic conditions.
Despite these challenges, he praised NEDC and its partners, including Dr Mariam Masha, for their commitment to ASSEP, emphasizing its potential to reshape the educational landscape of the region. He particularly lauded the introduction of Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, which he said were revolutionizing learning by enhancing engagement and knowledge retention.
“These digital tools will help the region leapfrog into the industrial age, providing immense benefits such as improved knowledge retention and remote learning capabilities,” he stated.
Shettima called on the NEDC, the Ministry of Regional Development, and other stakeholders to collaborate effectively to ensure the success of ASSEP. He also acknowledged the commission’s challenges but commended its leadership for adhering to due process and regulations.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Regional Development, Uba Ahmadu, noted that ASSEP was designed to enhance secondary education in the North East, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s broader agenda to improve education standards nationwide.
Alhaji Mohammed Alkali, NEDC’s Managing Director, highlighted the commission’s investments in human capital development, including teacher training and the establishment of ICT centres across the region.
The meeting ended with Alkali and Dr Masha presenting VR headsets to the Vice-President in recognition of his support for the initiative.
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