- JAMB has highlighted its strategic importance to Nigeria’s admissions system amid calls from some public commentators for its abolition
- A Sierra Leonean delegation in Nigeria ‘to learn’ from the West African country’s centralised admission process
- JAMB emphasised its critical role in managing growing admission challenges in Africa’s most populous nation
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering education in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has praised the examination agency’s “strategic importance” to Nigeria’s admission system.
In a statement on Sunday, May 10, JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin said Nigeria’s enrolment system would not have functioned effectively without the board.
Source: Twitter
JAMB defends role amid scrapping calls
Legit.ng reports that on Monday, May 11, JAMB will hold its 2026 policy meeting. The meeting is expected to be chaired by Tunji Alausa, the minister of education.
Benjamin disclosed that a Sierra Leonean delegation is in Nigeria “to understudy the country’s centralised admission system.” He added that those calling for the scrapping of the Board (JAMB) would better appreciate its strategic importance if such a situation were ever to arise.
JAMB’s statement read:
“The delegation (from Sierra Leone) was today (Sunday, May 10, 2026) taken through the examination and admission processes at the Board’s headquarters in Bwari. During tomorrow’s Policy Meeting, they will also witness firsthand how critical stakeholders are actively carried along in the admission value chain.
“The Sierra Leonean delegation expressed profound appreciation to the Board, noting that the increasing admission population in their country has posed serious challenges and that the Nigerian model offers practical solutions to issues they had long sought to address.”
The statement added:
“Indeed, one can only imagine what Nigeria’s admission system would have looked like without JAMB. Those clamouring for the scrapping of the Board may better appreciate its strategic importance should such a situation ever arise.”
The JAMB spokesperson’s full statement can be read below via a post on X:
JAMB and its responsibilities in Nigeria
JAMB is a Nigerian examination body responsible for tertiary admissions. It conducts the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for prospective undergraduate students seeking admission into Nigerian universities.
The board is also responsible for administering similar examinations for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian monotechnics, polytechnics, and colleges of education. All applicants are required to have obtained the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), conducted annually by the West African Examinations Council, or its equivalent, the National Examination Council (NECO).
Source: Twitter
Read more on JAMB:
FG kicks as JAMB discovers fake graduates
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the federal government (FG) of Nigeria confirmed that the probe of the 3,000 alleged fake graduates recently uncovered by JAMB was ongoing.
The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration explained that the report of a panel that investigated allegations of degree racketeering in foreign and private universities was ready.
The minister of state for education, who made this known, vowed that those indicted would be prosecuted for forgery.
Source: Legit.ng