The Federal Government has directed that no Nigerian tertiary institutions must charge above two thousand Naira as post UTME fee.
The Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu announced this at the 2018 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, JAMB in Gbongan, Osun State.
Mallam Adamu said he was of the initial opinion that it was exploitative to charge post UTME fee, but upon consideration of many salient factors, payment of the two thousand naira was important for a smooth conduct of admission process in the tertiary institutions.
The Minister who observed that JAMB had only been concerned with the admission aspect of its mandate, and leaving the matriculation to the higher institutions maintained that it was time to unified the matriculation system.
Hence, the minister directed that JAMB must certify any process of studentship in any tertiary institution, either by part time, sandwich or external programme, as anyone without JAMB certification would be taken to have not attended any institution of higher learning in Nigeria.
He frowned at what he described as admission under the table, as he insisted that no entrance of student must be done into the citadel of learning before the conclusion of JAMB policy meeting where guidelines for annual admission is adopted.
Mallam Adamu therefore directed JAMB to ensure that the policy meeting must be held not earlier than the month of June annually.
The minister commended the leadership of JAMB for combating the scourge of corruption hitherto ravaging the agency as indicated by the popular “Money swallowing Snake” Saga.
Presenting the 2017 performance sheet, the JAMB registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede announced that despite the demand for higher institutions in Nigeria, the available ones could not fully meet their admission carrying capacity under review.
From records presented to the gathering, out of the five hundred and thirty eight thousand, two hundred and sixty nine admission spaces in the schools, a total of four hundred and eighteen thousand, three hundred and ninety one were occupied, leaving a deficit of one hundred and nineteen thousand, eight hundred and seventy eight.
The JAMB registrar charged universities management to ensure that their admission cut across the thirty six states of the federation, including the Federal capital territory and foreign applicants.
Professor Oloyede told the Vice Chancellors to adhere strictly to the period of admission so at to ensure the harmonisation of the admission process.
Earlier in a welcome address, the host of the programme, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Doctor Wale Babalakin called on government to improve it’s funding of the Education Sector and improve on the policies to meet the needs of the 21st century man.
Vice chancellors, Rectors, Provosts and management of the six hundred and sixty two tertiary institutions in Nigeria are attending the one day meeting in Gbongan, Osun state.
