The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is set to extend the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to Canada, with a new examination centre planned for Ottawa from 2027.
The development is expected to ease the burden on Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America who wish to gain admission into universities and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
JAMB disclosed the plan following a visit by its Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, to the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada.
According to the examination body, the proposed Ottawa centre will enable eligible Nigerians in Canada and neighbouring parts of North America to take the UTME without having to travel to Nigeria specifically to write the examination.
The board said the initiative formed part of its broader effort to expand access to Nigerian tertiary education beyond the country’s borders.
“For Nigerians in Canada, the UTME is coming closer to home,” JAMB stated.
The board explained that the planned centre, which is expected to begin operations in 2027, would remove one of the major logistical challenges faced by Nigerians in the diaspora seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
JAMB said the move was also designed to strengthen the relationship between Nigerians living abroad and the country’s education system.
It noted that taking the UTME closer to prospective candidates in the diaspora would create more opportunities for Nigerians abroad to pursue tertiary education in Nigeria while also promoting Nigerian higher education internationally.
The board described the initiative as part of its vision of “taking Nigerian tertiary education to the world”, stressing that greater geographical access to the UTME would reduce barriers for qualified candidates outside the country.
The Ottawa centre is therefore expected to serve not only Nigerians resident in Canada but also eligible candidates from other parts of North America, particularly those interested in securing admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
JAMB said further arrangements were being worked out towards the commencement of the centre in 2027.
