Varsities, not JAMB determine candidates to admit — C’tee of VCs

The Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNUs) has made it clear that each university in the country determines who qualifies for admission among the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates who apply for whichever course and not the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board(JAMB) that conducts the examination.

Secretary-General of the committee, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, made the clarification in an exclusive interview with Nigerian Tribune, noting that JAMB only sets a minimum score to serve as a guide for all the universities and it does so together with other stakeholders.

He explained that fixing140 out of 400 marks (which represents just 35 percent) as a benchmark for this year’s university admission is simply to “provide a window of opportunity for universities and courses that are less attractive to draw students.

“This is why it is impossible for candidates with such low scores and even 200 to gain admission into some universities, particularly the top-rated ones, notwithstanding the courses they have chosen to study,” he said.

According to him, 200 marks can only be accepted by some universities for courses that are considered non attractive, while the heavily subscribed ones such as Law and Medicine will require very high scores.

“So, the JAMB’s 140 general cut off mark is just a guide, each university and particularly courses of study will determine the chances of candidates to qualify for admission,” he re-emphasised.