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Tag: JAMB

  • We generated N12bn revenue in 2017 – JAMB

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday said it generated N12 billion as revenue in 2017.

    The registrar of the board, Ishaq Oloyede, said this at a press conference in Ilorin on Monday.

    The registrar said the board remitted N7.8 billion to the Federal Government after deducting its expenses.

    According to a report from The Punch, Mr. Oloyede said JAMB was able to remit the huge amount of money to the Federal Government because it blocked loopholes and checked wastage

    He said although JAMB is not a revenue-generating agency, it is also not a money-wasting establishment.

    Mr. Oloyede said 1.7 million candidates sat for the last UTME, in addition to over 200,000 direct candidates, noting that the board expects two million candidates to sit for its 2018 examination.

    “The board had also devised means to check unscrupulous activities of candidates who do multiple registrations by deliberately writing their names wrongly with the intention to claim the result of the one with the highest score and thereafter demand correction of the name claiming that the fault is not theirs,” he said.

    The board also said its findings showed that about 80 per cent of first class graduates of Nigerian universities scored below 200 in the UTME they sat for while applying for admission.

    Mr. Oloyede said most of the first-class graduates from the nation’s universities were not exceptional but merely scored average marks in their Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

    He said the board took statistics of the first-class graduates across the nation’s universities.

    According to him, the findings showed that about 80 per cent of the graduates scored below 200 in the UTME they sat for while applying for admission to the university.

    “There have been instances where candidates with poorer scores were dropped to less competitive courses but later crossed to the more competitive ones and emerged as the best during their graduation, in those courses”, he said.

    He said the cut-off mark that JAMB put at 120 for 2017/2018 admission was a benchmark for admission of candidates and not a score for automatic admission.

    “Some affiliated institutions were urging reduction of cut-off marks adopted by their parent universities. The affiliates had approached the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, to ask JAMB to prevail on the universities to reduce the cut-off marks. The affiliates were complaining that they were finding it difficult to get candidates to admit with the cut-off marks.

    “Another technological means was devised to check cyber cafe operators from exploiting candidates who register for the UTME in their cafes while the Central Admission Processing System was introduced to ease processes of admission of qualified candidates”, Mr. Oloyede concluded

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, is Nigeria’s entrance examination board for tertiary-level institutions.

    The board administers similar examinations for applicants to Nigerian public and private universities, monotechnics, polytechnics and colleges of education.

  • JAMB to conduct mock examination in January

    JAMB to conduct mock examination in January

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), is to conduct its optional mock examination in January, preparatory to a better examination later in the year.

    The board made this disclosure in a statement signed by its Head of Media, Mr Fabian Benjamin on Sunday in Abuja.

    The board also reiterated the need for candidates to register on time and ensure that they follow due process in order to avoid avoidable challenges.

    “As we prepare for the 2018 examinations, beginning with the optional mock, we urge candidates to register on time, make clear their choices of institutions, disciplines and examination centres in the process.

    “Candidates must note that their first choice can be a College of Education, a university, an Innovation Enterprise Institution, a polytechnic or a monotechnic.

    “Others include, the Nigerian Defence Academy or the Police Academy.

    “We will conduct a better examination, ensure more transparent admission and make more remittances to the government,” stated the statement.

    The board, which described 2017 as year of transformation to success with the support of stakeholders, added that 2017 was its most eventful year so far.

    “In 2017, the board conducted one of the most transparent, inclusive and acceptable examinations with the least incidence of malpractices.

    “We invested significantly in the development of intellectual structures, examination infrastructure and human human resources.

    “This will propel more development in 2018 and put the board in the position to compete favourably with any public institution; globally, be it an examination body or service agency.

    The board also noted that while it had opened its “entire functionality to public participation and scrutiny”, it had been able to adopt some of the suggestions made by the public, which it said, had helped “to build the new JAMB”.

    It promised to sustain and make better the entire process in 2018, noting that the success of its Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) portal helped to achieve success.

    “Candidates were exposed to the new admission software to check admission excesses and our aim is to ensure that no candidate is unjustly treated.

    “The only way to achieve this was to open the process up for everybody to see who is admitted, with what aggregate score, and who is not and why is he or she was not admitted.

    “Also, candidates were able to use the CAPS window to monitor admissions into institutions of choice to ensure that they are not cheated”.

    The board added that it would continue to take up its statutory responsibility in order to meet the mandate of the government, which was to bring new ways of generating revenue while also improving service to the public.

    “We will continue to do everything possible to support the drive of this administration towards excellence”.

     

  • Multiple charges: JAMB warns telecoms firms to stop extorting candidates

    Multiple charges: JAMB warns telecoms firms to stop extorting candidates

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has urged telecoms firms to stop collecting multiple SMS charges from candidates attempting to register for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, and Direct Entry, DE.

    It said this anomaly was done by companies enlisted to provide ‘profile code creation services’ through sending and receiving of SMS.

    The spokesperson of the board, Fabian Benjamin, in a statement on Thursday said the telecom companies are meant to charge N50 per message but candidates are being made to pay several times for the service perhaps due to poor network or processing failure.

    Mr. Benjamin said the board was urging the telecoms firms to stop the multiple charges and stick to the agreement earlier reached with it.

    According to the statement, candidates who are victims of these multiple charges are to raise a complaint on support.jamb.gov.ng for redress and further action by the board.

    “The Board would insist on a refund by any telecoms (firm) that continues to charge these candidates twice. We are mindful of the nation’s network challenges and do not expect the candidates to pay for the telecoms infrastructural difficulties,” the statement said.

    Meanwhile, JAMB dismissed the claim made by the Colleges of Education Academics Staff Union, COEASU, that it (board) placed universities, ”over and above colleges of education in the choices available for candidates seeking admissions into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.”

    “According to COEASU’s claim, the board placed more priority in terms of choice by making universities first choice and colleges of education, third choice which is responsible for making colleges of education a dumping ground and less attractive as more brilliant candidates would have chosen universities first.

    “The Board wishes to correct this erroneous impression. Our advertisement typically, including this year, requests candidates to make ANY institution as their first choice, colleges of education inclusive. Our caption has always been, “order of choice of institutions: every candidate is to note that the 1st choice can be a college of education, university, or innovation enterprise institution,” Mr Benjamin said.

    The statement said the board was baffled by the assumptions made by COEASU over the matter.

    It added that the 2018 application documents published in national dailies, ”are clear, self-explanatory and devoid of any priority or preference as alleged by COEASU.”

    The president of COEASU, Nuhu Ogirima, had called for review of the current application process into colleges of education saying colleges of education are left with no choice in JAMB but, ”the low performing candidates and this does not augur well for the teacher education system.”

  • JAMB accredits 72 centres for 2018 UTME in Lagos

    JAMB accredits 72 centres for 2018 UTME in Lagos

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has accredited 72 centres in Lagos State for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    The State Coordinator of JAMB, Mr Sunday Aladegbaye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that 63 centres were accredited for the examination in 2017.

    He said the increase indicated that more candidates were likely to participate in 2018 Computer Based UTME.

    “”Preparations are in top gear for the examination in the state.

    “”We have accredited 72 centres that have met our requirements for the conduct of the mock and the main examination in 2018.

    “”But this figure can increase,’’ Aladegbaye said.

    He warned mischief makers to desist from setting up strange centres for registration to defraud innocent Nigerians.

    “”Experience has shown that some group of persons would create a strange website in the name of JAMB and be registering candidates to defraud them.

    ““This is misleading just as it is criminal.

    “”We also wish to reach out to candidates to go to only approved centres for their registrations.

    “”We (JAMB) will not be accountable for anything that happens to them.’’

    The JAMB official said that the board would prosecute any person or group of persons caught operating any illegal or unaccredited registration centre for its examinations.

    He said the board was prosecuting a fraudster in court for allegedly registering candidates for the 2017 UTME.

    “”He operated the centre at a place very close to our Lagos office on Ojora way in Lagos.

    ““When he was caught, he did not show any remorse for his action.

    ““We will continue with the case until justice is achieved to serve as a deterrent to others.

    ““We are a credible organisation and feel strongly that things should be done the right way and with due process.

    “”It is only logical that any person or persons willing to do business with JAMB, go through the right channel in order not to cause Nigerians pains,’’ he said.

     

    NAN

  • 50 prison inmates to write 2018 UTME

    No fewer than 50 prison inmates will sit for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), according to an official.

    The Principal, Ikoyi Prisons School, Mr Idris Ibikunle, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

    According to him, the school has prepared the inmates well for the examination as officials of the facility have stepped up efforts in ensuring an excellent performance.

    “Right now, we are preparing about 50 of the inmates for the next UTME and by what I see, they are very determined to excel.

    “We are yet to enroll them for the examination proper; we want to give a little more room for others interested so we can do the enrolment once.

    “I am optimistic that we will enroll more than 50 of the inmates for the examination,’’ Ibikunle told NAN.

    NAN recalls that earlier this year, 59 inmates were registered for the 2017 UTME out which 35 had their results released and are at various stages of admission placement to tertiary institutions.

    The principal also said 40 inmates were being prepared for the newly introduced 2018 January/February diet of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates.

    According to him, prisons officials were committed to ensuring that the inmates had nothing to lose, academically, despite their incarceration.

    NAN recalls that the principal had, at the maiden edition of the facility’s Education Award ceremony recently in Lagos, said 20 of the inmates were running various courses in different disciplines at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

    He said they were posting impressive performances in their chosen fields, ranging from Criminology, Security and Peace Studies, Theology, Business Administration to Mass Communication

    He, however, highlighted some constraints facing the school in the prison facility.

    “We are in need of stationery as well as the establishment of a befitting Computer Based Test (CBT) centre for our external examinations.

    “We, therefore, call for support from well-meaning Nigerians and organisations to join hands with us in ensuring that the dreams of these persons are kept alive,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • 2018 UTME: Beware of fake past question papers in circulation, JAMB warns candidates

    2018 UTME: Beware of fake past question papers in circulation, JAMB warns candidates

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)on Tuesday warned prospective candidates for the 2018 UTME to be wary of fake past questions in compact disks being circulated in the country.

    The board made the call in a statement signed by its Head of Media, Mr. Fabian Benjamin, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

    JAMB, while dissociating itself from the counterfeit papers, said the items were “intended to deceive unsuspecting candidates.”

    “The fake past questions in CD Rom entitled, “JAMB PRO CBT practice software for UTME” was purported to have emanated from JAMB in order to give credence to the products.

    “This is also made by the producers to perpetuate their nefarious activities.

    “JAMB wishes to dissociate itself from the production and sale of the fake CDs and warns the public to be vigilant and avoid being defrauded.’’

    The board said it had not authorised any individual or groups to do so on its behalf.

    It added that preliminary investigation conducted showed that the past questions were fake and had no semblance whatsoever to the board’s question papers in context, content or form.

    “As a responsible and responsive organisation, we will not be part of any ploy to defraud innocent candidates.

    “We have put machineries in motion to our outlets and service providers not to be used as channels of exploitation or distribution of such fake items.’’

    The board reiterated its commitment to continuously ensure that candidates applying for its examination were not misled, while calling on them to also avoid fake online sites.

    It urged intending candidates to study hard for the examinations and channel all enquiries to any of the board’s offices nationwide for any redress, challenges or information.

     

    NAN

  • JAMB to adopt malpractice device for future examination

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says the deployment of the CCTV device during JAMB examinations had come to stay to tackle examination malpractice.

    Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, the board’s Registrar, made this known on the side-line of a two-day International Summit on Examination Malpractice which ended on Friday in Lagos.

    The summit, organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), has the theme: “Examination Malpractice; the Contemporary Realities and Antidotes’’.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also quotes the registrar as disclosing that the deployment of the CCTV device during JAMB examinations had come to stay.

    “It is in line with this kind of development that the board has concluded arrangements to create centres for examination malpractice devices for future examinations,’’ he said.

    According to Oloyede, the use of the CCTV for the first time during the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), further consolidated its quest to ensure quality, equity and integrity.

    “There will be no compromise whatsoever.

    “Without the deployment of the CCTV, one will just be making a mockery of the computer-based test (CBT).

    “This device has ensured that even if a cheating candidate was not caught during the examination, such candidate will be caught after the examination.

    “We will continue to ensure that with education, one can achieve everything and without it, one can achieve nothing.

    “It, therefore, goes to tell that each one of us must strive to achieve what is good, giving the significance of life and living,’’ NAN quotes Oloyede as saying.

    He added that examination malpractice was a general malaise, the world over.

    The registrar noted that it was a global phenomenon that must be tackled urgently.

    “I have statistics, which shows that what we have in Nigeria on examination malpractice is concerned, is a child’s play when compared to what is happening in other climes.

    “Today with the aid of technological devices for cheating such as smart watches and others the phenomenon is becoming alarming.

    “But in our own case, as these children are getting wiser, we too are getting ahead of them,’’ he said.

    The registrar also called for adequate preparations and courseware development in order to stamp out the menace of examination malpractice.

  • Refund excess to students if you charge about N2,000 for post-UTME, JAMB tells erring institutions

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, on Sunday, warned universities that charged above N2,000 for post-UTME exams to return whatever excess to students or face sanctions from the Board.

    The Board also said it would partner with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conduct public examination through Computer Based Test, CBT, for Nigerians abroad.

    This was revealed by JAMB’s Head of Public Relations, Fabian Benjamin on Sunday in Abuja.

    Benjamin said that the collaboration was to enhance the conduct of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, for foreign candidates in 2018.

    He said 2017 UTME was conducted for foreign candidates on September 30 in Gambia, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin Republic, Ethiopia, South Africa and Cameroun.

    According to him, although the conduct of the examination was not justifiable, in terms of monetary value, there is need for JAMB to collaborate, to promote growth in the education sector.

    “We are already promoting CBT in line with international best practices; we have taken it to some countries in Africa, we need to do more to encourage the practice.

    “We have even gone ahead to see how we can put some countries on the global map by conducting our public examination there through CBT.

    “What we want to do is to partner with the ministry to be able to key into the global technology revolution as part of our foreign policy.

    “We must be able to maximise profit, especially from West African countries that we are offering assistance, through scholarship, to school in Nigeria.

    “We cannot achieve much by looking at things from naira and kobo, but through diplomatic relations there will be adequate room to gain through conduct of examination abroad,” he said.

    The head of public relations explained that foreign candidates sat for examination in one session based on local time of their various countries, adding that the questions were deployed from the Board’s headquarters.

    He decried message on the social media that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, had directed the refund of post UTME fee, describing the information as false and could create confusion in the public domain.

    Benjamin urged the public to disregard the information, saying that institutions that had charged more than N2,000 would be asked to make refund of the excess.

    He described as unfortunate a situation where some institutions could not adhere to the minister’ directive about the payment of post-UTME.

     

  • Adjust your high tuition fees to current economic situations – JAMB tells private varsity owners

    …urges wealthy Nigerians to patronise local universities

    The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has advised private university owners in the country to adjust their high tuition fees to the current economic situations in the country.

    The JAMB boss also advised elites in the country to stop sending their children abroad for the first degree education.

    The registrar said this on Thursday night in Abuja, during a training and sensitisation for admission officers and stakeholders from universities.

    Oloyede added that the board would no longer consider students admitted by universities, who did not have the Ordinary Level and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination requirements.

    He said, “Private universities have a challenge of high costs of school fees. I believe that the private universities are established for worthy purposes. In Nigeria, all of them claim they are not for profit but most of them are for profits. Let private institutions be declaring their status.

    “’Not for profit’ means that they are doing it for public services and their charges will reflect that. When they are able to recover their overhead, I think they can be okay. But some are established, especially for making money. It is not a crime; but show us where you stand. The market forces will determine where students will be. What is happening is that the private universities must be realistic in taking into consideration the economic realities in the country. Otherwise, they will put themselves out of the market.

    “I believe also that it is better for the elite in Nigeria to send their children to universities and higher education institutions in Nigeria. But they can go abroad for higher education.”

    Oloyede added that the board had also introduced the Central Admissions Processing System to ensure “transparency and tracking” of the admissions carried out by the universities.

     

  • High UTME score is no guarantee for varsity admission – JAMB tells candidates

    The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has said that only a combination of JAMB cut-off marks, post-UTME, ‘O’ level results and other admission criteria as determined by institutions can ensure candidates’ admission.

    The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this at an intensive training and sensitization forum on Central Admissions Processing System for the 2017/2018 academic session on Thursday in Abuja.

    Oloyede said that scoring higher than the minimum cut-off marks did not guarantee admission, though it does make candidates eligible for admission consideration.

    He added that institutions determine the institutional, programme and course cut-off marks and other admission criteria in the exercise of their autonomy.

    According to him, the cut-off mark by JAMB is only a threshold below which no institution can admit candidates.

    “JAMB is not an examination body; rather, it is a ranking body. If there are enough spaces in the tertiary institutions, there may not be a need for UTME.

    “JAMB is a screening body to rank already qualified candidates. It is a coordinating and clearing house.

    “The cut-off mark is not a pass or fail mark. It is not the total score but one of many factors such as post-UTME (where applicable), ‘O’ Level results scoring, etc.,” he explained.

    He added that regulating agencies such as the National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education, National Commission for Colleges of Education, among others, could decide the admission quota for institutions.

    He further explained that JAMB introduced CAPS so as to ensure that every UTME candidate gets fair treatment.

    Oloyede said with CAPS, candidates now have the choice to either accept or reject admission offer.

    He, however, advised candidates to ensure that they indicate the acceptance or rejection of admission online and timely to enable the processing of their admission.

    He urged institutions to comply with their advertised criteria for admission, including the cut-off marks.