RismadarVoice Reporters
October 6, 2026
The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Segun Aina, has said the proposed Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination centre in Canada is aimed at improving access to Nigerian tertiary institutions for candidates living abroad, rather than generating revenue.
Aina said the planned centre in Ottawa would provide an opportunity for Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America to sit the UTME without travelling to Nigeria.
The centre is expected to become operational for the 2027 UTME.
Responding to questions over the initiative, Aina said JAMB already conducts its examination in about 10 countries outside Nigeria as part of its broader policy of improving access to tertiary education.
He noted that the board also conducts examinations at correctional centres in Nigeria, arguing that the number of candidates or potential revenue was not the primary consideration behind establishing examination locations.
“UTME is currently being written in about 10 countries as a service to enhance access to education. We also conduct the exams in correctional service centres for the same reason. So the number of candidates is not the main driving force,” he said.
Aina explained that although JAMB has examination arrangements in several African countries, North America had remained without a centre.
He said the Ottawa initiative would not require JAMB to acquire a permanent facility or employ a separate workforce.
According to him, the board works with Nigerian diplomatic missions in countries where overseas examinations are conducted, using temporary facilities and receiving logistical support from mission personnel.
“We partner with the Nigerian High Commissions in the various countries. We set up temporary spaces within their premises and use their staff to assist us in running the exams,” Aina said.
The registrar also said no public funds had so far been spent on establishing the proposed Canadian centre.
He explained that discussions surrounding the initiative began when he travelled to Canada for a conference and used the opportunity to explore the possibility of establishing an examination location.
Aina said JAMB does not intend to operate a permanent computer-based testing facility in Ottawa, with the examination instead expected to be conducted at the Nigerian High Commission to minimise costs.
He maintained that JAMB’s international examination arrangements were primarily designed to make Nigerian tertiary education more accessible to prospective students overseas.
JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin also defended the initiative, saying more than 100 prospective candidates had already indicated interest in sitting the examination in Canada.
Benjamin said the board would continue promoting Nigerian universities and expanding opportunities for Nigerians and other prospective students abroad to seek admission into the country’s tertiary institutions.
The proposed Ottawa centre is expected to begin serving eligible candidates during the 2027 UTME.
