Federal Government Denies Scrapping UTME

The Federal Government has dismissed reports claiming thatbit has scrapped the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), insisting that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) remains the only legally authorised body for tertiary admissions in Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade, on Thursday.

She described the reports circulating on social media as false and misleading, stressing that neither the Ministry of Education nor any of its agencies issued or authorised such an announcement.

“For the avoidance of doubt, JAMB remains the statutory and legally empowered body responsible for conducting entrance examinations and coordinating admissions into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” the statement read.

“The established admission processes through JAMB remain fully operational, and any contrary information should be disregarded in its entirety,” it added.

Folasade further stated that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s unwavering partnership with JAMB and other relevant education bodies to ensure transparency, fairness, and merit in the admission process.

According to her, the Minister emphasised that the integrity of the tertiary education admission system remains a top priority for the administration.

“The Federal Government is committed to maintaining the credibility of the process and ensuring that every qualified candidate has a fair chance,” she quoted the Minister as saying.

The clarification followed rumours that began circulating online after the government announced a review of admission criteria that allows candidates without a credit pass in Mathematics in their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) to gain admission into programmes in the Faculty of Arts.

The reform, according to the Ministry, was introduced to expand access to tertiary education and align admission policies with global best practices.

The Federal Ministry of Education also shared the official clarification via its verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, reaffirming that the UTME has not been scrapped and that JAMB remains central to Nigeria’s admission process for tertiary institutions.