Breaking News: Direct Entry (DE) Candidates to Sit for UTME Henceforth – JAMB

JAMB announces that starting from now, both Direct Entry (DE) candidates and UTME candidates will be required to sit for the same examination. The decision is aimed at ensuring that DE candidates can substantiate their possession of A’level certificates.

This change in policy was revealed during a management committee meeting in Abuja. The meeting was conducted to evaluate the recent registration crisis experienced during the 2023 DE registration process.

The new policy intends to address all the existing loopholes in the DE admission process, thereby promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in the nation’s education sector.

JAMB remains committed to enhancing the conduct of public examinations in Nigeria, as part of its efforts to transform the education sector. The board has reiterated its determination to reshape the negative perception surrounding A’level admissions into higher institutions.

In addition, JAMB has once again remitted an interim surplus of N2 billion for the 2023 operating year, with further remittances expected as its operations progress throughout the year. This demonstrates the board’s commitment to leveraging technology and discipline to manage its affairs effectively.

Under the leadership of Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the current registrar, JAMB has made significant financial contributions to the Federal Government. In the past, the board remitted less than N60 million over 38 years, but under Prof. Oloyede’s tenure, it has remitted over N55 billion to date.

The registrar’s policy of transparency and accountability has led to increased revenue generation for the board. By executing its processes internally, JAMB has achieved substantial cost savings, including a reduction in annual payments to service providers from N1.2 billion to approximately N400 million.

Furthermore, JAMB has successfully recovered over N1.2 billion in cash and assets in prime areas of Abuja. These actions have significantly bolstered the board’s financial position and allowed for increased contributions to the national treasury.

In its first year under Prof. Oloyede’s leadership, JAMB remitted N7.8 billion to the national treasury and has contributed over N27 billion directly. These figures exclude the 30% reduction in application fees, capital funds, annual grants for capital projects to tertiary institutions, and the special staff welfare scheme. Overall, JAMB’s cumulative surplus over the past six years is estimated to be around N54 billion.