1. ADMISSIONS INTO HIGHER
INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA:
ISSUES, TRENDS AND
CHALLENGES
By
Omojola Awosusi, Ph.D.
Registrar, Ekiti State University,
Ado-Ekiti. Nigeria.
Email: jolaawosusi@yahoo.com
Tel: +2348033957175
Being the text of a Paper presented at the AUA Conference held at
the University of Manchester UK 2nd – 4th April, 2012.
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2. 1. Introduction
2. History of Higher Education in Nigeria
3. Distribution of Higher Education in Nigeria
4. Establishment of Joint Admissions and Matriculations
Board and the Issues Involved
5. Admission system in Nigeria Higher Education: The
Trend
6. Quality Assurance system of JAMB
7. Challenges facing Admission system
8. Coping Strategies and the trend
9. Recommendations
2 10. Conclusion

3.  Definition of Concepts
 What is Admissions?
 Shakespeare : “The world is a stage.
It has its entrances and exits”
 What is Higher Education Institution?
 Citadel of Learning
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4. 4

5. •150 million People
•923,768 Square Kilometres
•About 450 languages
•3 Principal Ethnic Nationalities
•Literacy Rate – 68%
•33.2% Youths (Age: 15-34)
•GDP: per capita : USD 2,500
• Independence: 1st October, 1960
• Member of Commonwealth
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6. 2.  1943 – Yaba Higher College - For
Technical/Professional Education
First Generation Universities
 1948 - University College, Ibadan
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7. 2.
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8. .
 First Generation Universities
 1960 – University of Nigeria, Nsukka
 1962 – University of Ibadan
University of Ife
University of Lagos
Ahmadu Bello University
 1973 - University of Benin
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9. 2.

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10. University of Ilorin
Usmanu Dan Fodiyyo University
University of Jos
Bayero University
University of Maiduguri
University of Port Harcourt
University of Calabar
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11. A. State Universities – From 1979
* Rivers State University of
Science and Technology –
1979
* Ekiti State University - 1982
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12. 2.
• Federal Universities of Science and
Technology
• Federal Universities of Agricultures
• State Universities of Science and
Technologies
• State Universities of Education
• National Open University
• Specialized Academies – NDA, Language
Villages etc
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13. • 1993 Decree – National Minimum Standards
and Establishment of Institutions Amendment
Decree
• Deregulation of Higher Education
• Establishment of Private Universities,
Polytechnics and Colleges of Education
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14. Ownership Number Percentage
Federal 36 30.8
State 36 30.8
Private 45 38.4
Total 117 100
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15. Ownership Number Percentage
Federal 22 26.1
State 42 50.0
Private 20 23.9
Total 84 100.0
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16. Ownership Number Percentage
Federal 20 33.33
State 29 48.33
Private 11 18.34
Total 60 100.0
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17.  1977 - Establishment of JAMB

 Issues which brought JAMB
 * The Northern part of Nigeria less educated than the
South
 * Three out of Six Universities in Nigeria existed in the
South West
 * Majority of those admitted into Universities were from the
South West
 * Incidence of multiple admissions as a result of
concessional examination system
 * Need to Unify entrance examination in line with UK
System
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18.  * Seven Universities established in 1975 across
the country, but none in South West Nigeria to
create balancing
 * Introduction of Centralized Admission Board
 named JAMB

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19.  1948 – 1977 Concessional Examination System
 1978 - 1990 University Matriculation Examination
(UME)
 1990 - 2005 Polytechnics and Colleges of Education
Examination (PCE) added to UME
 2005 - Post University Matriculation Examination
introduced
 2010 - UME and PCE merged to create Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (UTME)
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20. 1. Organised Structure
 HQ, Zonal offices
 Test Administration
 Admission
 ICT
2. Intensive Training & Advocacy
3. Community/Institutional Involvement e.g.
Stakeholders Meetings involving JAMB, NUC, FME
and Heads of Institutions / Registrars of Institutions
4. Multiple Question Types
5. Law Enforcement
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21.  Admission Criteria
 Lack of Adequate access
 Focus of Candidates on Universities alone
 Massification
 Sharp practices
 High Examination cost
 Cross border option
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22.  Merit
 Catchment Areas
 Less Educated Developed States
 Others

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23. Year Application Admission % Number % Not
Admitted Admitted
2000 404,305 60,553 15 85
2001 728,073 92,271 12.7 87.3
2002 896,356 69,594 7.8 92.2
2003 868,451 118,368 13.6 84.4
2004 745,923 125,679 16.9 83.1
2005 404,123 77,955 19.3 80.7
2006 267,032 88,306 33.1 66.9
2007 828,087 116,815 14.1 85.9
2008 957,686 120,195 12.6 87.4
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24. Year Application Admission % Number % Not
Admitted Admitted
2000 104,195 39,132 37.6 62.4
2001 178,468 45,743 25.6 74.4
2002 195,151 17,479 8.9 91.1
2003 210,860 72,165 34.2 65.8
2004 - - - -
2005 145,309 24,672 17 83
2006 140,226 130,856 93.3 6.7
2007 130,856 18,267 14 86
2008 230,707 55,255 24 76
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25. Year Application Admission % Number % Not
Admitted Admitted
2000 18,771 9,365 50 50
2001 18,122 12,862 71 29
2002 20,911 2,218 11 89
2003 23,482 12,321 53 47
2004 - - - -
2005 16,518 8,375 51 49
2006 12,693 7,749 61 39
2007 25,910 11,863 46 54
2008 58,698 41,944 72 28
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26. Focus of Candidates on Universities alone
Institutions Applications %
Universities 6,100,036 80
Polytechnics 1,335,772 17
Colleges of Education 195,105 3
Total 7,630,913 100
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27. Universities Polytechnics Colleges of Education
3%
17%
80%
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28. Institutions Applications %
Universities 869,754 63
Polytechnics 403,569 29
Colleges of Education 106,697 8
Total 1,380,020 100
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31. Problems of administering examination to multitudes
• Stampede
• Inability to write exams
• Inadequacy of materials
• Human capital
• Law Enforcement
• Control management
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32.  Examination malpractices
 Inducement
 Impersonation
High Cost of Examination
 Application form fee
 Transportation
 Result checking
 ICT Cost
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33. Exodus of Nigerian students abroad to study
 Regional – Ghana
 Continental – South Africa
 Global
a. Europe - UK, Ukraine, Germany, Sweden
b. Asia - Malaysia, China, India, Singapore
c. North America – USA, Canada.
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34. • NUC imposed carrying capacity on HE Providers
• Constant Review of Methodologies by JAMB
• Involvement of HR of Institutions by JAMB to
administer Examinations
• Introduction of Post UME
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35. 1. Enlargement of access to Higher Education
• Improve/Upgrade existing Universities/Colleges
2. Technology to the rescue - Computer Based Testing
(CBT)
What is CBT?
Paperless examination for
 Examination delivery
 Taking of examination
 Scoring of examination
 Release of result
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37.  Low Exam Delivery Costs
 Automated Instant -scoring
 Innovative Test Environment
 Improved Quality of Information
 Reduced cases of malpractices
• No leakages of questions
• No impersonation
 Prompt and Immediate Release of Results
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38. • Portal provides 24/7 access to scheduling info,
allowing candidates to choose the most convenient
location to take their exams
• Online scheduling and payment system would be
deployed
• Schedule info would be communicated to the
candidates by email/SMS
 Exam Centre
 Exam Date
 Exam Time slot
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39.  Examiners would populate the Question Bank with
large number of questions.
 Server uses a sophisticated randomization algorithm
based on question delivery criteria set by examiners
 Questions would be randomly delivered to each
candidate from the question bank
 Same number of questions from each section of each
subject would be delivered to all candidates
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40.  Test/Exam would be scored instantly by computer
 Compares the test-taker’s choice to the key set by
examiner
 Scoring is done only when the test-takers indicates he
has finished or when exam time elapses
 Computer allocates score based on question weight
set by examiners
 Scores and answers are uploaded unto the server
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41.  Biometric Technology
 CCTV
 Restriction of access to Question bank
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42. A number of Nigerian Universities have embraced CBT fully
 Covenant University
 Landmark University
 American University
 University of Ilorin
 University of Lagos
 Federal University of Technology, Akure
Many Universities have adopted varying degrees of computer based testing
system.
a) Paper Exam finished with OMR scanner e.g. Ekiti State University
b) Some Universities use e-examination especially for recruitment test e.g.
Federal University Oye – Ekiti.
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