By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fired back at former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, over the scheduling of this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), particularly regarding the safety of candidates.
Obi had in a statement posted on social media, criticised what he described as the “reckless” scheduling of examinations as early as 6:00 a.m., forcing teenagers aged 15 to 17 to travel across dangerous and unfamiliar terrains in the dark.
He warned that such practices exposed students to insecurity and accidents, citing reports of students being involved in incidents and others reportedly missing.
“Setting exams for vulnerable teenagers as early as 6:00 a.m., while transporting them across far-flung locations, is reckless,” Obi wrote.
“Who takes responsibility when a 15- or 16-year-old child disappears or is harmed while trying to access their right to education?”
Obi used the occasion to highlight what he called the deeper systemic failure of Nigeria’s education system.
He pointed out that Nigeria’s Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) for tertiary education remains at a worrying 12%, far below the global average of 40%.
He compared Nigeria’s infrastructure to that of Indonesia, which, despite a similar population size, boasted over 4,000 tertiary institutions and a GER of 45%.
“If Nigeria had even half of Indonesia’s educational infrastructure, our children would not be forced into life-threatening journeys just to write an exam,” he argued, stressing that expanding access to education is critical for national development.
In response, JAMB clarified that its examination sessions were scheduled to commence at 8:00 a.m., not 6:00 a.m. as suggested by Obi.
The examination body explained that only verification and clearance processes begin at 6:30 a.m. to allow candidates enough time to settle before the exams start.
“It is imperative that candidates are afforded adequate time to settle in before the exam begins,” JAMB stated via its official handle.
Obi, however, insisted that beyond timing, the core issue is the shortage of universities and examination centres across the country, which forces candidates to travel long distances under unsafe conditions.
He called for urgent investment in educational infrastructure, warning that a nation that starves its young people of access to education cannot expect sustainable development.
“Our young generation should not be endangered because they desire education. We must do better as a nation,” he said.
