Senate extends JAMB’s result validity period to 3 years

The Senate on Thursday passed for third reading and approved the extension of the validity period of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination results to three academic years.

Presenting the report titled “Report on a bill for an Act to Amend the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Act and for other matters connected thereof, 2016 (SB. 245), at plenary, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Jibrin Barau, (APC-Kano North) explained that the purpose of the bill was to amend the JAMB Act to increase validity period of JAMB examination from one academic year to three academic years.

According to him, the Board shall only conduct matriculations examinations as the sole examinations required for admission and entry into all Universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, to the exclusion of any other institution or body.

He said Section 6 (1) of the new Act states: ” Any examination conducted by the Board pursuant to the powers conferred by this Act shall be valid for a period of three academic years from the date of the examination.

“A candidate meeting the requirements for admission and being duly qualified shall remain so qualified for the period prescribed in subsection (1) of this section.

“A candidate awaiting admission shall be given preference in the succeeding year over fresh applicants who shall only become eligible when the backlog had been cleared.”

It would be recalled that the Upper Chamber had directed its Committee on Education to inquire into circumstances surrounding the JAMB policy including all allegations of favouritism and generally review the power of the Board vis-a-vis administration and submit its findings to it.