Lawmaker proposes bill to increase JAMB’s UTME validity by 3 years

A lawmaker has proposed a bill to increase the validity of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to three years.

Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, the lawmaker representing the Oluyole Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, sponsored the bill.

The lawmaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Olamilekan Olusada, said in a statement on Friday that the bill was sponsored on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, 16th March 2022.

Titled ‘A Bill for an Act To Amend The Joint Admission And Matriculation Board (Establishment, Etc) Act, 2021 and other Related Matters’, the bill urged the House to look into increasing the number of years UTME results will be valid for.

Akande-Sadipe, who chairs the House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, hinted that the proposed amendment for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the body conducting the examination, will make it function better.

The lawmaker noted that the yearly examination is great and has been able to determine applicants who are prepared for the rigorous task of studying in the tertiary environment but having a year valid score has been cumbersome, distorting, and worrisome to the average Nigerian.

She said, “Most examinations meant for entrance for academics or otherwise are generally more than a year. Take a look at IELTS, SATS, GRE, and other recognised exams, they are either valid for three or four years and they have remained one of the best after being able to stand the test of time.

“The Bill seeks to increase the validity of the results of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) from one year to three years,” Akande-Sadipe said.

Akande-Sadipe also noted that candidates, after the bill is adopted and passed into law, could be admitted into the university three years after taking UTME, stressing that this will save many Nigerians the cost of purchasing UTME forms every year.

Speaking after the plenary, the lawmaker gave reasons for her push for the extension of score validity beyond one academic year, one of which is to minimise the cost and logistical need for conducting the examination.

She also noted that it would allow candidates to plan, project and decide on which of the institutions to attend and what to study.

The bill will also reduce uncertainties surrounding applications and admissions and drastically reduce the number of applicants yearly without reducing the quality of the examination.

She said: “It is our job to legislate; make laws that will ease the sufferings of Nigerians. On the floor, I identified a major area that we need to look into in amending the act establishing JAMB.”