The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has explained its decision to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination centre in Ottawa, Canada, saying the move will make it easier for Nigerians in the diaspora to access Nigerian tertiary education.
JAMB announced plans for the Canadian centre following a visit by its Registrar, Professor Segun Aina, to the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, where discussions were held on the proposed examination facility.
The centre is expected to begin operations in 2027 and will allow eligible Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America to sit for the UTME without travelling to Nigeria solely for the examination.
According to JAMB, the initiative is part of its broader effort to expand access to Nigerian tertiary education and strengthen the connection between Nigerians living abroad and the country’s education system.
The decision comes as JAMB continues to expand the international reach of the UTME, which is already conducted in several countries outside Nigeria.
Existing foreign examination locations include the United Kingdom, Ghana, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and other countries where Nigerian candidates have previously been able to take the examination.
JAMB’s 2026 bulletin showed that hundreds of candidates registered for the foreign UTME across designated international centres, demonstrating an existing demand for examination services outside Nigeria.
The proposed Ottawa centre is therefore expected to provide another option for Nigerians who want to pursue university, polytechnic or college of education programmes in Nigeria while living overseas.
The arrangement could particularly benefit Nigerian families in Canada whose children have completed or are completing secondary education and intend to continue their studies in Nigerian institutions.
Without an overseas centre, candidates living in North America may have to make costly international travel arrangements simply to participate in the UTME.
JAMB said removing that burden would make the admission process more accessible and reduce one of the practical barriers faced by Nigerians in the diaspora.
The initiative also reflects a wider change in how Nigerian public institutions are using technology and international examination centres to deliver services to citizens outside the country.
JAMB already operates a largely digital registration and computer-based testing system, allowing examination administration to be coordinated across multiple locations.
The board’s mandate includes conducting matriculation examinations for admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education and placing qualified candidates into available programmes and institutions.
By extending the examination network to Canada, JAMB is effectively taking part of that admission process closer to a growing population of Nigerians outside the country.
The move also comes as JAMB under its new leadership continues to review the structure and purpose of the UTME.
Registrar Segun Aina recently announced a review of the examination format, with a committee examining whether the current subject-based approach sufficiently measures critical thinking, reasoning, problem-solving and other competencies needed for success in tertiary education.
The proposed changes are aimed at ensuring that the UTME remains effective as a selection examination for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
JAMB has stressed that its role is primarily to rank candidates for admission rather than duplicate the subject knowledge already assessed through secondary-school examinations such as WAEC and NECO.
The expansion to Canada therefore forms part of a broader effort to modernise both access to and administration of the Nigerian tertiary admission system.
For Nigerians in North America, the immediate benefit would be convenience, as eligible candidates could potentially complete the UTME process without returning to Nigeria for the examination.
The move could also strengthen the relationship between Nigerian institutions and the diaspora by making participation in the domestic education system easier.
However, the proposed centre will still have to meet JAMB’s requirements for secure computer-based testing, candidate verification and examination monitoring before it becomes operational.
The board’s experience with foreign UTME centres provides an existing framework for addressing those requirements.
JAMB has also demonstrated that it can deploy officials to international locations to supervise examinations and maintain the integrity of the testing process.
The Canadian centre is expected to serve not only Nigerians residing permanently in Canada but potentially eligible candidates elsewhere in North America, depending on the final arrangements announced by the board.
For prospective candidates, details such as registration procedures, examination fees, venue arrangements and eligibility requirements are expected to be communicated by JAMB ahead of the 2027 registration cycle.
The planned expansion represents a significant development in Nigeria’s tertiary admission system because it recognises that many prospective students seeking Nigerian education now live outside the country.
By bringing the UTME closer to these candidates, JAMB hopes to reduce geographical barriers while maintaining the examination as the central pathway into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
If successfully implemented, the Ottawa centre could also become a model for expanding UTME access to other locations with significant Nigerian populations.