The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board announced plans to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination centre in Ottawa, Canada. The centre is expected to begin operations in 2027.
JAMB shared the plan in a statement on its X account on Monday. The announcement followed a visit by JAMB Registrar Prof. Segun Aina to the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa.
During the visit, Prof. Segun Aina held talks with Nigeria’s Ambassador to Canada, Prof. Isaac Adewale. They discussed arrangements for the proposed examination centre.
Afterwards, JAMB stated that the centre would serve eligible Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America. The board added that candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions would benefit most from the facility.
According to the board, the Ottawa centre would remove the need for candidates to travel to Nigeria solely to write the UTME. “The centre will provide eligible Nigerians in Canada and other parts of North America with easier access to the UTME, particularly those seeking to pursue tertiary education in Nigeria,” JAMB said in the statement.
Furthermore, the board explained that the initiative forms part of its J-CARE framework. It described the framework as focused on “More access. More opportunities. A stronger connection to home.”
In addition, JAMB noted that the centre would create greater opportunities to showcase Nigerian tertiary education on the international stage. The board said the move would open more pathways for Nigerians in the diaspora to access higher education in Nigeria.
“The initiative reflects JAMB’s commitment to making the UTME more accessible, inclusive and globally connected, while opening more pathways for Nigerians in the diaspora to access tertiary education in Nigeria,” the board stated.
The planned centre marks another step in JAMB’s effort to expand examination access beyond Nigeria’s borders.
