Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has slashed the cut-off marks for admissions into Nigerian universities and degree awarding institutions from 180 to 120. Th e board, at its 2017 policy strategic meeting held in Abuja yesterday, said polytechnics and colleges of education’s cut-off marks had also been reduced to 100.
Th e meeting attended by vicechancellors, registrars, rectors, provosts, admission offi cers, among others, with the Minister of Education in attendance, however, allowed room for a fl exible admission into the three tiers of tertiary institution, while that of the Enterprises Innovation Institutes would be determined later. JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede said institutions were expected to admit candidates with required entry qualifi cation, adding that not all the candidates, who scored required cut-off , were qualifi ed for admissions. Oloyede, however, said institutions were authorised to admit students based on their internal cutoff , but should not exceed agreement reached at the meeting.
He said it had come to the realisation of the Board that often time, 60 per cent of candidates, who scored high marks did not have the required fi ve credits relevance to their choice of studies, but were given placement, thereby a large chunk of those with requisite qualifi cation, were denied placement. “For instance, 30 per cent of students in colleges of education did not go through matriculation examinations, but after admission, they return to JAMB for regularization.
“I want say that up to 2016, 17, 160 irregular admissions, cutting across the three tiers of institutions, are awaiting regularization in my offi ce”, he said. He promised that eff orts would be made to regularise the admission, warning that beginning from 2017 admission session, the board would no longer entertain such practice. Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, in his remarks, regretted the earlier directive to stop postUTME, saying after deep study and understanding, institutions could conduct the exercise based on aptitude tests with a cost of N2, 000 only. He acknowledged innovations brought by Oloyede to change perceptions about JAMB, but regretted the attacks at the University of Maiduguri by insurgents. “JAMB conducting examination in nine foreign countries is encouraging and government will continue to support and endorse your innovations, but have zero tolerance for corruption and exploitation, UTME was avenue for this,” he said.
