Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The lawmaker representing Oluyole Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Mrs Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, is proposing a law increasing the validity of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to three years.
The congresswoman pushed this bill for the extension of the validity for UTME results before the lower chamber of the parliament on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, during the plenary.
She noted that the yearly examination was great and has been able to determine applicants who are prepared for the rigorous task of studying in the tertiary environment, but stressed that having a year valid score has been cumbersome, distorting and worrisome to the average Nigerian student.
“Most examinations meant for entrance for academics or otherwise are generally more than a year. Take a look at IELTS, SATS, GRE, and other recognised exams, they are either valid for three or four years and they have remained one of the best after being able to stand the test of time.
“The bill seeks to increase the validity of the results of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) from one year to three years,” the House of Representatives member submitted.
In the bill tagged A Bill for an Act to Amend the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (Establishment, Etc) Act, 2021 and other Related Matters, Mrs Akande-Sadipe urged the House to look into increasing the number of years JAMB results will be valid.
Speaking after plenary, the lawmaker, who doubles as Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, said some of the reasons for the extension of score validity beyond one academic year include to minimise the cost of running the examination, to allow candidates to plan, project and decide on which of the institutions to study, to allow candidates to determine what to study and at where after seeing his/her strength and weaknesses, to minimise the logistical need for conducting the examination, to reduce uncertainties surrounding applications and admissions and also to drastically reduce the number of applicants yearly without reducing the quality of the examination.
“It is our job to legislate; make laws that will ease the sufferings of Nigerians. At the floor, I identified a major area that we need to look into in amending the act establishing JAMB,” she said.
