JAMB plans UTME centre in Canada for Nigerians from 2027

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it is working towards establishing a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centre in Ottawa, Canada, which is expected to commence operations in 2027.

The proposed centre will allow eligible Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America to sit for the UTME without travelling to Nigeria solely to take the examination, JAMB said in a tweet on Monday.

The examination body said the initiative would provide “more access” and reduce barriers for Nigerians in the diaspora seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.

The announcement followed a visit by JAMB Registrar, Segun Aina, to the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, where the proposed centre was discussed.

“The proposed centre will make it easier for eligible Nigerians in Canada and across North America to sit for the UTME without travelling to Nigeria solely for the examination,” the post reads.

“It also represents a bigger opportunity to strengthen the connection between Nigerians in the diaspora and Nigerian tertiary education.”

JAMB said the initiative was also an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between Nigerians in the diaspora and the Nigerian education system.

UTME

Candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions must take the UTME and then participate in the admission process at their chosen institutions.

The examination attracts millions of candidates every year. More than two million candidates sat the UTME this year.

JAMB already conducts the UTME in designated centres outside Nigeria, including in countries such as the United Kingdom, Ghana, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Côte d’Ivoire.

For the 2026/2027 admission cycle, JAMB and other stakeholders approved 150 as the minimum benchmark for admission into universities, while 100 was approved for polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of education and colleges of agriculture.