The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has clarified that the board is not an examination body but an educational assessment and admission agency responsible for facilitating entry into tertiary institutions.
Oloyede made the clarification at the maiden Rite Foods National Academic Excellence Awards held in Lagos, where seven outstanding undergraduates received a total of ₦35 million in prizes.
According to him, many Nigerians wrongly classify JAMB alongside examination bodies such as the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council because it conducts the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
“We conduct examinations, but we are not an examination body. Just as the University of Lagos conducts examinations without being an examination body, JAMB conducts examinations as part of its admission process,” he said.
The JAMB registrar explained that the board’s primary responsibility is to coordinate admissions into tertiary institutions, while the UTME serves only as one of the assessment tools used in the admission process.
He added that admission decisions are based on several factors, including subject combinations and institutional requirements, warning that high UTME scores alone do not guarantee admission.
Oloyede also noted that misconceptions surrounding the UTME have led many to overemphasise examination scores, stressing that JAMB’s role is to ensure fairness, transparency, and proper placement of qualified candidates into higher institutions.
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