Perhaps the time has come for the Federal Government to subject the activities of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to closer scrutiny and oversight. Such intervention has become imperative to prevent the growing trend of denying qualified Nigerians access to higher education on the basis of arbitrary and poorly conceived regulations.
Over the years, JAMB has earned commendation for improving transparency and remitting unprecedented revenues into the national treasury. Former President Muhammadu Buhari publicly acknowledged the remarkable financial stewardship of the board under the leadership of Professor Ishaq Oloyede, noting that no previous registrar had achieved comparable results. Yet, institutional success must never become a licence for administrative excess. Unfortunately, the board now appears increasingly emboldened to introduce policies that conflict with the constitutional rights and educational aspirations of Nigerian citizens.
Almost every admission cycle comes with a fresh layer of regulations, often introduced without adequate public enlightenment, only to become instruments for excluding otherwise qualified applicants from pursuing higher education. At this rate, one fears that applicants may someday be required to produce the birth certificates of their great-grandparents before being considered eligible for admission.
