The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced plans to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centre in Ottawa, Canada, with operations expected to commence in 2027.
The proposed centre will enable eligible Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America to sit for the UTME without travelling to Nigeria solely to take the examination.
JAMB disclosed the development following a visit by its Registrar, Professor Segun Aina, to the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, where discussions were held around establishing the examination centre.
The board said the initiative was designed to improve access to the Nigerian tertiary education system for Nigerians living abroad, particularly those seeking admission into universities and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
According to JAMB, the Ottawa centre will reduce the financial and logistical burden faced by candidates who currently have to travel to Nigeria specifically to participate in the UTME.
The examination body described the initiative as part of its broader effort to take Nigerian tertiary education to the global community and strengthen the connection between Nigerians in the diaspora and the country’s education system.
JAMB also said the proposed centre would create greater opportunities to showcase Nigerian tertiary education internationally while providing more access for eligible candidates across North America.
“For Nigerians in Canada, the UTME is coming closer to home,” the board said in its announcement.
The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, has also explained that the initiative is primarily about expanding access rather than generating revenue. He said JAMB already conducts the examination in several foreign countries as a service to Nigerians living outside the country.
Aina explained that JAMB works with Nigerian diplomatic missions in countries where it conducts the UTME, with examination arrangements often involving temporary spaces within Nigerian High Commission premises.
The proposed Ottawa centre would therefore expand JAMB’s existing international examination network into North America.
JAMB currently conducts the UTME in several countries outside Nigeria, including the United Kingdom, Ghana, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire and Saudi Arabia.
The board said work is ongoing toward establishing the Ottawa centre, which is expected to commence operations in 2027.
The development is expected to make the Nigerian admission process more accessible to Nigerians in Canada and other parts of North America who wish to pursue tertiary education in Nigeria, while strengthening the relationship between the diaspora and Nigeria’s education system.
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