The General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries, Apostle Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, has urged the Federal Government to scrap the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), citing growing security risks and the burden the examination places on students and parents.

Chinyere made the call on Sunday during a sermon at the church’s international headquarters in Port Harcourt, where he questioned the continued relevance of JAMB in Nigeria’s university admission process.

According to him, the centralised examination has become redundant, as many tertiary institutions still conduct their own post-UTME screening after candidates sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

He expressed particular concern over the early scheduling of exams, sometimes as early as 6:30 a.m., noting that such timing exposes candidates to security risks, especially in parts of the country facing instability.

The cleric revealed that, under the church’s scholarship scheme, additional funds are often provided for students to secure accommodation near their examination centres, as travelling at odd hours is unsafe. He described this as an unnecessary financial strain.

Chinyere also criticised the practice of posting candidates to centres far from their residences, arguing that it increases both cost and risk. He referenced reports of insecurity affecting candidates, including an alleged abduction incident in Benue State, as justification for urgent reform.

Beyond security concerns, he faulted the multiple layers involved in Nigeria’s admission system, which typically require students to sit for WAEC, JAMB, and post-UTME examinations before meeting institutional and departmental cut-off marks.

The OPM founder contrasted this with admission processes in countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the Benin Republic, where he said students are assessed through more flexible and institution-driven systems.

Chinyere warned that the current structure discourages many young Nigerians, potentially contributing to the rising number of out-of-school youths, and called on the government to adopt a more student-friendly and secure alternative. (Guardian)

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