In a significant development, the House of Representatives has taken a decisive step toward extending the validity of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results to three years. The House, during Wednesday’s plenary, adopted a motion put forth by Hon. Akintunde Rotimi from Ekiti. Rotimi urged JAMB to reconsider its current policy and allow the validity of examination results to span a period of at least three years. Additionally, he proposed that JAMB should conduct the entry exams biannually.
Presenting the motion, Rotimi highlighted that JAMB administers an annual examination for aspiring undergraduates, with fees being borne by parents or the candidates themselves. He further noted that the results of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) are indefinitely valid, acting as prerequisites for the JAMB tests.
The motion expressed concern over the current one-year validity of JAMB examination results. It emphasized that if candidates fail to secure admission into their preferred tertiary institutions within the academic year the exam was taken, their results, regardless of their quality, become useless. The House also raised apprehensions regarding the impact of persistent strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on the academic calendar. Despite these disruptions, JAMB continues to conduct its examinations without considering the ongoing industrial actions by ASUU.
The House of Representatives expressed worry over the backlog of candidates awaiting admission to Nigeria’s limited tertiary institution vacancies. This backlog, coupled with the pressure it places on the education system and parents, further underscores the need for an extended validity period for JAMB results.
In response to these concerns, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Education to implement measures that would ensure the resolution’s effective implementation. This move aims to alleviate the challenges faced by candidates and create a more flexible and accessible higher education system in Nigeria.
