The legal instrument establishing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, was promulgated by Act No. 2 of 1978 of the Federal Military Government on 13th February, 1978. By August 1988, the Federal Executive Council amended Decree No. 2 of 1978. The amendments have since been codified into Decree No. 33 of 1989, which took effect from 7th December, 1989. Decree No. 2 of 1978 (amended by Decree No. 33 of 1989) empowered the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to:
(a) Conduct Matriculation Examination for entry into all Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education (by whatever name called) in Nigeria.
(b) Appoint Examiners, Moderators, Invigilators, members of the Subject Panels and committees and other persons with respect to matriculation examinations and any other matters incidental thereto or connected therewith.
(c) Place suitably qualified candidates in the tertiary institutions after having taken into account: (i) the vacancies available in each tertiary institution
(ii) the guidelines approved for each tertiary institution by its proprietors or other competent authorities (iii) the preference expressed or otherwise indicated by the candidates for certain tertiary institutions and courses (iv) such other matters as the Board may be directed by the Honorable Minister of Education to consider or the Board itself may consider appropriate in the circumstances.
(d) Collate and disseminate information on all matters relating to admissions into tertiary institutions or any other matter relevant to the discharge of functions of the board.
(e) Carry out other activities as are necessary or expedient for the full discharge of all or any of the functions conferred on it under or pursuant to this Decree.
Meanwhile, JAMB, has fixed March 9 to 17 for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME. The Registrar of the board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, stated this at a meeting with stakeholders last week.
He explained that the mock examination initially scheduled to hold between January 22 and 24 has been moved to the first week in February due to the ongoing strike by non-teaching staff of universities.
Prof. Ishaq Oloyede also announced that JAMB has reduced the cost of its forms for foreign students willing to study in Nigeria from two hundred dollars to twenty dollars per form. He made this known while hosting journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State. He explained that JAMB reduced the fees for foreign students to encourage more Nigerians in foreign countries to enroll in Nigerian institutions.
The JAMB boss said no fewer than two million candidates are expected to register for the 2017/2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
