In a recent development, the House of Representatives has called upon the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to extend the validity period of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results to three years.
This move comes as the lower legislative chamber also advocates for the conduct of the UTME at least twice annually.
Currently, the UTME results administered by JAMB are valid for just one year. Consequently, candidates who are unable to secure admission within that timeframe are required to retake the exam the following year to pursue their aspirations of tertiary education.
During a session on Wednesday, Akin Rotimi, the representative of Ekiti North 1 federal constituency, presented the motion, urging JAMB to reconsider the existing arrangement and align it with international standards.
Rotimi argued that this adjustment “would provide immediate relief to students and their parents or sponsors, who bear the financial burden of the exam on an annual basis,” while also offering candidates multiple opportunities to sit for the exam throughout the year.
The lawmaker emphasized that no provision in the current legislation establishing JAMB prevents the board from promptly implementing the resolutions of the house on this matter.
In a statement, Rotimi highlighted that the house had further adopted a motion to establish an ad-hoc committee, tasked with engaging in discussions with JAMB and other relevant authorities to facilitate the implementation of the house’s resolution.
“In addition to passing my motion, the honorable house also passed a motion for an additional prayer moved by Hon. Olumide Osoba, establishing an ad-hoc committee of the house to liaise with the authorities of JAMB and the Ministry of Education to ensure the resolution is expeditiously carried out,” Rotimi explained.
It is worth noting that Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Oyo state, had previously introduced a similar bill during the 9th assembly. However, the bill, which proposed a four-year extension of UTME validity, encountered a setback after the second reading.
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