The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, UTME, conducted by higher institutions in Nigeria for candidates seeking admission into their schools has been scrapped.
The cancellation of the exams, commonly called post-JAMB, was announced by the Federal Government on Thursday in Abuja during the 2016 Combined Policy Meeting on Admissions to Universities, Polytechnics and other higher institutions in Nigeria.
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, however, stressed that all tertiary institutions were at liberty to conduct screening for candidates seeking admission into any school.
Adamu expressed confidence in the examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, insisting that there was no need for other examination to be conducted by universities after JAMB.
“As far as I am concerned the nation has confidence in what JAMB is doing. The universities should not be holding another examination and if the universities have any complain against JAMB let them bring it and then we address it.
“If JAMB is qualified enough to conduct tests and they have conducted test then there will be no need to conduct another test for students to gain admission,” the Minister said.
Adamu urged JAMB to stop extra charges on several categories of changes on admissions such as the change of course, change of school and others.
Before now, many have criticised the introduction of post-JAMB exams some years ago.
Meanwhile, the JAMB has pegged the cut-off mark for admission for 2016 at 180.
This benchmark, the examination body said, applies to all universities and higher institutions in the country, including polytechnics, colleges of education, and others.
