JAMB to Conduct UTME in Canada From 2027

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board plans to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination center in Ottawa, Canada, from 2027.

The center will allow eligible Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America to take the UTME without traveling to Nigeria specifically for the examination.

JAMB disclosed the plan Monday following a visit by its Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, to the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa.

The board said the proposed center would mainly serve Nigerians seeking admission into Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.

“The proposed centre will make it easier for Nigerians in the diaspora to sit for the UTME without travelling to Nigeria solely for the examination,” JAMB said.

The board said the initiative was part of its efforts toward “taking Nigerian tertiary education to the world.”

It also said the center would “strengthen the connection between Nigerians abroad and the Nigerian education system” and create “greater opportunities to showcase Nigerian tertiary education internationally.”

“For Nigerians in Canada, the UTME is coming closer to home,” JAMB said.

The board described the Ottawa center as “a bigger opportunity to strengthen the connection between Nigerians in the diaspora and Nigerian tertiary education.”

It said the initiative would provide “more access” and reduce barriers for Nigerians abroad who want to study in Nigeria.

The planned center would also expand JAMB's existing foreign examination network.

The board currently conducts UTME examinations in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin Republic, Cameroon, The Gambia, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

JAMB said it was “working towards establishing a UTME examination centre in Ottawa, Canada, expected to commence operations in 2027.”

The move is expected to make the Nigerian admission process easier for candidates in Canada and other parts of North America while encouraging Nigerians abroad to consider Nigerian tertiary institutions.