Sudan Crisis: JAMB Recommits To Absorb 700 Student Returnees

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reiterated its commitment to the task of ensuring that all the over 700 returnee students from war-torn Sudan, who are seeking admissions into Nigerian universities, are absorbed.

The registrar Is-haq Oloyede gave this assurance during a meeting with representatives of the Association of Concerned Parents of Nigerian Student Returnees from Sudan (ACPNSRS) in Abuja.

Professor Is-Oloyede said as the nation’s admission clearing house, the board will do all that is necessary to ensure that these returnee students who have requisite qualifications are accommodated within the Nigerian education system.

He also called on the association to ensure that all the affected students possess authentic certificates as the board would not condone any sharp practices in the nation’s admission value chain.

The registrar, while reassuring the forum of the board’s full support, expressed the resolve of its management to integrate the returnees to universities of their choice.

He urged the parents to take cognisance of the various advisories on procedures for applying for foreign inter-university transfers for old students, to mention but a few.

Prof. Oloyede pointed out that the advisories were follow-up to the series of high-level consultations with the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC) and other critical agencies of government, Vice chancellors of Nigerian universities and other stakeholders on the issue of re-absorption of returnee students, who are caught up by civil strife in foreign lands.

He noted that, as part of the Board’s determination to ensure the absorption of these returnee students, the Board’s Integrated Brochure and Syllabus System (IBASS), to accommodate the peculiarities of these returnees. He added that any student, who has neither completed the university transfer form nor follow all the guidelines that have been made available to them will not be captured by IBASS.

Furthermore, he explained that any admission done outside CAPS would not be condoned by the Board and would pose serious problems for such students in the long run. He, therefore, enjoined the parents to follow due process at all times.

Spokesperson of the forum Asmau Yerima, commended the JAMB for honoring their request for a meeting. She then outlined the reasons for the meeting, which, according to her, included but not limited to, the issue of rejected application of their wards by some universities.

Yerima appealed to the Board to make available a dedicated window where returnee students would be able to make changes in their choices of institutions at any CBT centre.