Nigeria Universities Updates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Thursday fixed 180 and 160 as cut-off points for admissions into Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education respectively for the 2011/2012 session.

The decision was arrived at after the second combined Policy Meeting of the examination body with stakeholders, in Abuja.

Earlier, the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai, said the Federal Government would no longer tolerate “random admissions” and the late submission of list of admitted candidates into the universities.

Rufa’i handed down the warning while declaring the policy meeting open.

She expressed regret the avoidable hitches which the 2010 admission procedures as a result of this unwholesome practice by some institutions.

She appealed to all the institutions to adhere strictly to admission guidelines so as to maintain a healthy academic calendar.

She said, “I wish to remind all institutions on the adherence to admissions time-table as prepared by the JAMB.

“Last year, this was seriously abused as many institutions were still making submissions to the board up to May 2011.

“May I remind all institutions to follow the guidelines with regard to issues like the criteria of merit, quota, educationally less developed states, catchment area and the 60:40 science/arts ratio.

“To this end, the decisions you take and the discretion you exercise in the course of this meeting will be critical as these will go a long way in the realization of our nation’s aspirations and the current administration’s goal of delivery on the social contract as well as being among the top twenty economies in the world by the year 20: 2020.”

Popularity: 15% [?]

The second edition of JAMB UTME has come and gone. Survey shows that while there are lots of inconsistencies associated with the conduct of the examination, it has been given a pass mark. The question on the lip of many candidates is what is next after JAMB? Let me mention categorically that JAMB exam is just a step in many leading to your success in admission. There are other steps that are necessary for you to secure your admission. These steps will be discussed below.

Checking of Result
In last year JAMB UTME, checking of result was free. This year too you can be able to check your result freely on the internet by going to www.jamb.org.ng.com/unifiedtme Enter your registration number and check your result. However, checking of result is not up now but the procedure describe above will allow you to check your result when it is up. JAMB also promises to send result via SMS especially for those who subscribe to their SMS alert during registration. Going by this you do not need to buy a card to check your result, all you need is your registration number.
However there is one card they use for printing original result slip. But this is usually printed after a person has been offered an admission in a university. Further instructions will be provided later.

Change of Institution(s)
A lot of factors may make it necessary for a candidate to change the institution they initially applied for. A candidate may score less than 200 and thus be ineligible to apply to a university especially Federal. Or maybe you feel getting admission into a particular university will be harder or easier. Whatever reason there is, note that change of institution is done immediately Jamb release the result. Usually, it takes two to three weeks for the application to close so you have to act fast. You can get the card in any Jamb office close to you or other vendors. The card usually cost about N1700. If you are going to use the card, you have to be very careful since you can only use it once. So, make sure that the network is stable and fast. DO NOT REFRESH THE PAGE DURING THE PROCESSING. Make sure you finish the application and print the acknowledgement slip with your new institution. Maker sure you print it. It is very important.

Correction of Data
Some applicants made mistake with their personal data such as names. If you pass your JAMB and make it through your post utme you can buy change of name form. However, it is not advisable to do that before you are sure of admission.
Post UTME Application and Preparation

Most universities conduct post utme examination for candidates who apply to their universities. Usually you must have score 200 or above to be eligible to write the post utme exam. Statistics have shown that many who made it through JAMB could not make it through post utme. A lot of preparation needs to go in before one can make it through with post utme. There is something you have to keep in mind before applying for post UTME exam. Most universities allow applicants to choose two course while applying for post utme. Your second choice may influence chance of admission. Interestingly JAMB has made it possible for you to be able to check how many candidates apply for a particular course in your choice institution. This will enable you to know how competitive your choice course will be. It will also help you to know what course to put as second choice. You may want to subscribe to project VAIC (Varsity Admission Information Center). For detail visit Project VAIC

Post UTME Screening Exam
After making adequate preparation for post utme, you will be invited to write the examination at the date set by your university. There are lots of points you need to keep in mind when preparing and writing the exam. These points are discussed in our manual “Strategies for passing post UTME and DE”. If you subscribe to project VAIC you will get a copy free.

Checking of Admission Status
Different universities have different ways of checking admission status. However, most of them put the list of admitted students online. You can regularly check www.NigeriaUniversitiesUpdates.com for updates. If you subscribe to project VAIC (Varsity Admission Information Center), we will also keep you informed via SMS.

Clearance
Clearance is done only by admitted students. Usually the admission you will be offered is provisional. It is after your clearance that it will be assume that you have been admitted. The modalities followed for clearance varied from one university to the other. Please make sure you always visit www.NigeriaUniversitiesUpdates.com

In view of the above, you can now see that the journey to admission has just begun. Remember too that Jamb said only 20% of 1.4 million applicants will make it through. However, in as much as you are reading this article, you are among the favored few. Join project VAIC today and secure your chances of admission.
Remember you can make admission or you can make excuses but you can not make both!

Popularity: 10% [?]

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said that over 82,000 candidates had incomplete results in 2010 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The registrar and chief executive of the Board, Professor ‘Dibu Ojerinde, who disclosed this said that, a sum of N48 million has been set aside for a “Train the Trainers’ Project” aimed at reducing to the bearest minimum the incidence of incomplete results in future UTME.

Ojerinde said even though the figure was less than eight per cent of the total number of registered candidates, the number was still high.

He said: “Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is worried hence it has resolved to check the menace of incomplete result in the next examination”.

Meanwile, in order to ensure a hitch free 2011 UTME scheduled for June 11, 2011, the JAMB boss said that the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Hafiz Ringim and his team had assured JAMB that the Police Force would collaborate with the Board in checking examination malpractices.

A statement in Abuja by JAMB’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Timothy Oyedeji, said the Director, Information Technology Services, (ITS) Mr Olujide Adisa, and JAMB were working to ensure hitch-free biometric system and success in the registration and conduct of the forthcoming UTME.

Adisa was quoted to have said that this was aimed at reducing the incidence of incomplete results which had characterised previous examinations.

He made the comments at a maiden training session for UTME coordinators, the first in the series of training programmes for all categories of stakeholders in the conduct of the examinations.

Popularity: 8% [?]

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, Prof ‘Dibu Ojerinde, has said the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) remains the de facto examination required for admissions into tertiary institutions.

Ojerinde berated some institutions that have flouted Federal Government’s directives on the conduct of Post-UTME, saying that UTME is only attractive to them because of the pecuniary motives.

“JAMB’s, integrity as a credible public examination body would not be compromised. For us at JAMB we will strive to make the integrity of our examinations sacrosanct,” he said.

With new measures such as biometric capturing, Ojerinde assured that the examination would even be more thorough.

“We have introduced Biometric Capturing of thumps, i.e. thump-printing of our candidates before they are admitted to write our examinations, this is a panacea to im-personalisation and a check on examination malpractice,” he said.

According to the statement signed by JAMB’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Timothy Oyedeji, Ojerinde blamed the insistence of some universities on Post-UTME on the fact that they see the post-examination as an alternative means of revenue generation.

While the Registrar admitted that some institutions are complying with the directive not to charge more than N1,000 as post-UTME fees, he said the list of the errant institutions has been forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Education.

Mallam Aminu Abba of the National Universities Commission (NUC) claimed that the aim is to undermine JAMB and that some institutions are determined to ensure that they admit only the best hence post-UTME is just in consonant with that resolve.

Popularity: 8% [?]

THE Joint Admission and Matriculation Board(JAMB)has lifted the ban on admission of fresh students into Abia State University (ABSU) for this year’s academic section. Abia State Commissioner for Education Chief Paul Mba revealed this to reporters in Umuahia at the weekend.

Mba explained that management of universities from the Southeast and Southsouth met with JAMB and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to iron out grey areas.

Mba said the meeting enabled the universities to press home their demand for improved emoluments.

His words: “We want to advise parents whose children chose Abia State university as their first choice to go to the university for their admissions for the coming year.They should reapply at no extra cost”.

Mba said the present academic year will end in February.

The Abia State Commissioner for Education said funding of universities and infrastructural development of schools were discussed at the meeting.

His words: “Abia state government was giving the state university the sum of N100 million monthly. It has been increased to N164 million.

“This means that the students will be expected to pay more in their school fees. But the school authority will announce the new fees at their own time”.

He assured that governor Theodore Orji would continue to accord the education sector utmost priority.

The commissioner explained that the state government is rebuilding all the dilapidated schools through intervention funds from UBE and ETF.

He explained PTA has been reintroduced in schools, to help in the provision of infrastructure.

Mba said the Abia State Oil Producing Develop-ment Commission (ASOPADEC) had been directed to start rebuilding dilapidated schools in the state.

He revealed that the state government has abolished administrative and developmental fees in schools.

Popularity: 9% [?]

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has shifted the conduct of 2011 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) from April to June 11, because of the forthcoming 2011 general election.

The Registrar and Chief Executive of JAMB, Professor ‘Dibu Ojerinde, who announced this in Abuja, said the sale of application documentation would close on Friday, 29th April, 2011.

This would also give candidates ample time to register for the examination.

Professor Ojerinde, in a statement signed by the JAMB’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Timothy Oyedeji, made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, on Wednesday, said the shifting of the examination usually conducted in April of every year, would allow the board more time to plan for its primary mandate and conduct a hitch-free UTME.

The statement said Professor Ojerinde, made the new date known during a joint prayer session for all staff of the board at the JAMB national headquarters, Bwari, Abuja.

He assured that the conduct of UTME this year would be smooth and hitch-free, learning from the few challenges encountered during the conduct of the examination in 2010, which was the first edition of the combined examination for entrance to universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in the country.

He further disclosed that some of the development projects embarked upon by the board included six state offices in Jigawa, Delta, Kwara, Oyo, Niger and Ekiti States would be completed mid-year.

“This is in addition to development of permanent structure for Test Development here to accommodate those recently moved from Kaduna” he said.

Professor Ojerinde also told the staffers of the proposed mass movements and transfers that would sweep across the board and urged them to be positive in appreciating the inherent benefits of the exercise.

He said the exercise might seem punitive but it was designed to enhance the competences of the workers in diverse areas of the Board’s operations and not intended to victimize anybody.

He added that the committee handling the exercise had already drawn out operational guidelines that would ensure that family lives were not disrupted in the impending changes.

Popularity: 9% [?]