The Federal government has directed all Federal universities operating on temporary campuses to move to their permanent sites for effective coordination.
The Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu, gave the directive at the 2018 JAMB Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria, held on Tuesday, 26th June 2018, at Gbongan, Osun State.
Stakeholders at the meeting also agreed on respective minimum cut-off marks for admissions into tertiary institutions for the 2018/2019 academic session to be 140 for Universities, 120 for Polytechnics and 100 for Colleges of Education.
In his address, Mal. Adamu pointed out that in the last three years, the government had recorded remarkable transformation and development in the various institutions of higher learning in the country. “We have ensured that abandoned projects have either been fully completed or are currently being completed. We have also started new projects in the various institutions. We have continued to license more tertiary institutions in order to expand access, while the regulatory bodies have been empowered and supported to accredit more relevant programmes. Focus has been on programmes that would add value to the nation’s development”, he said “The minster said with a lot of support from the federal government, we have achieved relative peace and harmony on most of the campuses. Our universities are regaining their glories and the institutions are attracting international interest all over again”. He said.
On the 2018/2019 admission process, the Minister urged universities to ensure transparency in the process, stressing that other cardinal qualities of honesty, sincerity, equity, loyalty, integrity and commitment to nationhood should be the guiding principles. Mal. Adamu drew the attention of heads of Institutions that “we should be dissuaded from doing any official business under the table. Heads of tertiary institutions are encouraged to institutionalise these enumerated qualities. Some of you carry out your duties with understanding and knowledge that some of your actions cannot stand the test of integrity, as some of the infractions you endorse and approve are irregular”.
Mal. Adamu also announced the cessation of irregular admissions into universities and other higher institutions urging each institution to abide by all regulations. He further disclosed that a lot of revelations laced with observed lapses and documentary evidences had been brought to his attention and had extensively consulted on the way forward.
The Hon. Minister stated that “Pursuant to the spirit and letter of the enabling Law of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, all applications for admissions to first degree, National Diploma. National Innovative Diploma and the Nigeria Certificate in Education, must be processed only through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). These include full time, Distance learning, Part time, Outreach, Sandwich, etc. All applications for programmes for the listed certifications by individual institutions should stop”.
He maintained that while institutions could and should screen candidates, the government would not allow duplication of application forms. “I have directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), to fully ensure compliance with this policy directive and to issue clear guidelines to all concerned”.
He further highlighted that the duration of all non-full time studies must be practiced as approved by the regulatory agencies and generally not less than 150% of the equivalence of full time.
The Minister also declared that the Policy Meeting would continue to be the forum where the agenda, guidelines, modalities and timelines would be set for the purposes of admissions into universities, Polytechnics, Monotechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria and for all modes of study. He therefore, stressed that no admission to any tertiary institution should be announced prior to the Policy Meeting, appreciating that the meeting was being held early enough for the commencement of new session.
He added that the JAMB should ensure that the Policy meeting was being held not later than June every year.
Giving further clarifications on the Post-UTME, the Minister reiterated charges for such examinations should not be more than the approved two thousand naira (N2, 000).
He endorsed that any institution which was interested in conducting any form of Post-UTME screening could do so, but, that the gross charge should not be more than N2, 000. and Minister directed that charging more than N2, 000 would attract firmer sanction for violating such infraction.
Mal. Adamu also directed JAMB to reactivate the National Matriculation list for proper data of enrolment into higher institutions. “It is mandatory to keep proper valid register of all matriculated students in the nation’s tertiary institutions. Therefore, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the regulatory agencies should resume their joint monitoring of the matriculation and admissions exercises. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board is to reactivate the practice of the production and publication of National Matriculation List.”
He also warned that successful candidates whose admissions were processed appropriately through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board should be listed and the list be made available publicly to all stakeholders. Anyone whose name did not appear on the National Matriculation List would be considered not to have been admitted.
He then appealed to all Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts to adhere to the decisions of the Policy Meeting to ensure quality education sector.
In his remarks, Osun Governor, Rauf Aregbesola stated that his government was concerned about boosting basic education as it was the foundation of the sector. He therefore, tasked the stakeholders to pay attention to public schools to help develop the sector.
The JAMB Chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Ndukwe pledged that JAMB would continue to sustain its transparency and probity, acknowledging the sincerity, honesty and dedication of the Registrar, Management and staff of the Board.
He noted with Satisfaction the unprecedented return of billions of naira to the public treasury further testified to the President that only honest and trusted honest persons should be assigned to strategic public offices.
He said that the Governing Board with the support of the Minister would rigorously ensure transparency and honesty in the system. He also commend the Civil Societies and the Media whose report, critique and feedback had continued to be sources for JAMB’s improvement, re-engineering and reshaping process.
In his presentation, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, gave the breakdown of the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination scores, stating that 444,696 candidates out of the 1,603,181 who sat for the examination scored above 200 marks. This, according to him, translated to 25.09% which was against the 465,025(27%) of the 1,606,374 who scored above 200 in 2017. He added that 558,673 Candidates scored above 190, while 739,490 scored above 180 and 956,937 above 170.
Prof. Oloyode further pointed out that rules guiding the process allowed that every candidate was required to accept or reject his or her admission before the process was completed and that candidates could protest their admission status should they feel not properly treated.
The Registrar assured that the Board would implement the federal government guidelines with regards to admissions on part time, sandwich, NOUN and Distance Learning.