The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has said its plan to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, centre in Canada is aimed at improving access for Nigerians living in North America.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Segun Aina, explained that the proposed centre in Ottawa would allow Nigerians in Canada and other parts of the region seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions to sit for the examination without travelling to Nigeria.
Aina gave the explanation in a post on X on Tuesday following questions raised by members of the public over the planned centre, which is expected to commence operations from the 2027 UTME.
According to the registrar, the decision was not primarily driven by the number of candidates expected to register or the potential revenue the centre could generate.
He said JAMB’s responsibility to expand access to tertiary education had informed similar arrangements in other countries and locations.
“UTME is currently being written in about 10 countries as a service to enhance access to education. We also conduct the exams in correctional service centres for the same reason. So the number of candidates is not the main driving force,” Aina said.
JAMB had announced the Ottawa centre on Monday as part of its plans to extend examination access to Nigerians outside the country.
The board said the facility would serve Nigerians in Canada and other parts of North America who intend to gain admission into Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.
The proposed arrangement would also remove the need for prospective candidates in the region to make international trips solely to participate in the UTME.
Aina’s clarification comes as JAMB continues to administer the examination outside Nigeria in selected countries, with the board maintaining that such centres are established primarily to make the admission process more accessible to eligible candidates.
The registrar also pointed to the examination centres established within correctional service facilities as another example of the board’s approach to expanding access beyond conventional locations.
The Ottawa centre is therefore expected to become part of JAMB’s existing network of overseas examination locations when it begins operations for the 2027 UTME.
The board has not indicated that the centre is intended to serve only candidates resident in Ottawa, with the announcement describing it as a facility for Nigerians in Canada and other parts of North America seeking to write the UTME for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
