By Muhammad Mamman
The Federal Government has dismissed claims that it scrapped the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), insisting that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) remains the sole authority for admissions into Nigeria’s universities and other higher institutions.
In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, the government said it never authorised or issued any announcement scrapping the UTME.
“For the avoidance of doubt, JAMB remains the statutory and legally empowered body responsible for conducting entrance examinations and coordinating admissions into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” the statement read.
It added that all existing admission procedures through JAMB remain fully in place and urged the public to disregard any contrary information.
Education Minister, Tunji Alausa, also reaffirmed the Ministry’s full support for JAMB and other relevant agencies, stressing the government’s commitment to fairness, merit, and transparency in the admission process.
He noted recent admission policy reforms, including expanded access for candidates without a credit in Mathematics in their SSCE, allowing them to apply for certain programmes in the Faculty of Arts.
According to the Ministry, the move aims to broaden access to higher education without compromising standards.
