…SAYS IT IS A “BOTTLE NECK” IN EDUCATION SYSTEM
Yenagoa, Nigeria – In a bold and thought-provoking statement that has sparked widespread discussion across Nigeria’s educational and social landscape, wife of Bayelsa State PDP Acting Chairman and renowned business business mogul, academic, and social commentator, Jennifer Turnah, has called for the immediate scrapping of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), describing it as a “bottleneck” and a source of frustration in the country’s higher education system.
Mrs. Turnah, who made her position known via her official Facebook handle, expressed strong disapproval of the continued relevance of the JAMB examinations in the current educational structure. According to her, the board has outlived its usefulness and now serves more as an obstacle than a pathway to academic progress.
“It is of no direct value to our educational system in my opinion, rather than a delay in academic pursuit. After secondary school and obtaining a school certificate, all the student needs is to apply to multiple universities and go for an interview with the schools — which can be both oral or written. After that, the pupil should gain admission into the institutions. What is JAMB, if not another educational bottleneck? JAMB is fast becoming a heartbreaking experience for our pupils and should be scrapped,” she stated.
Her remarks have ignited a flurry of responses from education stakeholders, parents, students, and policymakers, with many echoing her sentiments while others defend the role of JAMB in standardizing university admissions across the country.
Established in 1978, JAMB is a central body responsible for conducting entrance examinations for prospective undergraduates into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. Over the years, the body has introduced various reforms, including the adoption of Computer-Based Tests (CBT), aimed at improving efficiency and reducing malpractice. However, critics argue that the board has become a source of stress and systemic failure for many students.
Mrs. Turnah’s intervention has reignited the debate over whether Nigeria should decentralize its university admission process and return to a system where individual institutions conduct their own entrance assessments.
Highlighting global best practices, Mrs. Turnah suggested that Nigerian universities be given the autonomy to design their admission processes, including conducting oral and written interviews. She maintained that such a system would be more holistic and capable of evaluating students’ readiness for higher education beyond multiple-choice standardized testing.
“We must rethink the rigid structure that JAMB has imposed. A student who has gone through six years of secondary school and has earned a valid certificate should not be subjected to another layer of limitation before accessing tertiary education,” she added.
Her remarks have been met with mixed reactions. Some educators have welcomed her advocacy, noting that JAMB’s centralized model may no longer reflect the diversity of Nigeria’s academic needs. Others, however, have argued that scrapping JAMB could create inconsistencies in university admissions and open the door to favoritism and corruption.
As debate intensifies over the future of JAMB, Mrs. Turnah’s comments have succeeded in drawing national attention to the urgent need for reform in Nigeria’s educational admissions process. Whether her call will spur policy changes or remain a rallying cry for frustrated students and parents remains to be seen.
Nevertheless, her bold advocacy reiterates a growing demand for a more flexible, student-friendly academic system that eliminates unnecessary barriers and opens more doors for young Nigerians to pursue their dreams.
