The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been urged to publish detailed data on the performance and operating costs of its foreign examination centres before proceeding with plans to establish a new Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centre in Ottawa, Canada, in 2027.
The call comes amid growing attention to the management of overseas examination centres and the need to ensure that public resources allocated to their operations deliver measurable value.
Those advocating for the disclosure argue that information on the performance of existing foreign centres would provide a clearer basis for assessing the effectiveness of JAMB’s international examination arrangements before additional facilities are established.
They also maintain that publishing operational expenditure would enable stakeholders to understand the financial implications of running examinations outside Nigeria, including the costs associated with logistics, staffing, facilities and other administrative requirements.
The proposed Ottawa centre is expected to expand access to the UTME for eligible Nigerian candidates living in Canada, potentially reducing the need for some prospective candidates to travel to Nigeria to sit the examination.
However, the expansion has raised questions about the financial sustainability of overseas examination centres and the criteria used to determine where new facilities should be established.
A comprehensive report covering existing centres could help address these concerns by providing information on candidate registration, examination attendance, technical challenges, operational efficiency and expenditure.
Such information could also help JAMB identify centres that require improvements and determine whether the establishment of additional facilities is justified by demand from Nigerian candidates abroad.
Transparency advocates argue that making the data publicly available before the Ottawa centre opens would promote informed public discussion and strengthen confidence in the board’s decision-making process.
They further contend that the publication of comparable performance and cost figures would enable stakeholders to assess whether overseas centres are operating efficiently and whether the proposed expansion represents an appropriate use of resources.
JAMB has continued to administer the UTME for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. As more Nigerians pursue the examination from overseas locations, questions surrounding accessibility, examination integrity and operational costs are likely to remain important to the board’s international strategy.
The proposed 2027 opening in Ottawa therefore presents an opportunity for JAMB to demonstrate transparency by explaining the rationale for the expansion and making relevant information about existing foreign centres available for public scrutiny.
The call for disclosure does not necessarily oppose the establishment of the Canadian centre. Rather, it emphasises the importance of using verifiable performance data, clear financial information and demonstrated demand to guide decisions on expanding the examination network.
As preparations for the 2027 examination cycle approach, stakeholders will be watching for further details about the Ottawa centre and whether JAMB will publish the requested information before the facility begins operations.
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