UTME Security Concerns: Why Is JAMB Still Sending Students Far From Home?
Fresh reports of candidates facing security threats, including alleged kidnappings, have sparked nationwide concern over the practices of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). At the center of the debate is a troubling question: why are young students still being posted to exam centers far outside their immediate environments in a country grappling with security challenges?
For many candidates, writing the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is already a high-pressure experience. Add long-distance travel, unfamiliar territories, and safety risks, and it becomes more than just an academic test—it turns into a gamble with personal security.
Parents and guardians are increasingly uneasy. In a time when insecurity remains a real concern across various regions in Nigeria, sending teenagers to distant locations—sometimes without adequate transport or supervision—raises serious questions about planning and student welfare. While JAMB’s centralized system aims to ensure fairness and reduce malpractice, critics argue that safety should never be compromised in the process.
But why does this system persist?
One major reason often cited is the uneven distribution of accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers. Some areas simply do not have enough functional centers to accommodate the growing number of candidates. As a result, students are assigned wherever space is available, regardless of distance. While this may solve logistical issues on paper, it creates real-life risks on the ground.
There’s also the issue of efficiency. JAMB’s scheduling system prioritizes filling available slots quickly, sometimes overlooking geographical convenience. However, in today’s climate, efficiency without safety is a dangerous trade-off.
The bigger concern is the seeming normalization of risk. When incidents occur, they trend for a few days, spark outrage, and then fade—until the next one. This cycle raises an uncomfortable question: are authorities doing enough to proactively prevent these dangers, or merely reacting after the fact?
For many Nigerians, especially students preparing for their future, the expectation is simple—access to education should not come at the cost of personal safety. If the system cannot guarantee that, then it must evolve.
Because at the end of the day, no exam is worth a life.
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