The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB disclosed that the reason it had to extend the sales of 2019 Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME form was for the federal government to formally approved the N3,500 it has reduced it to. The board further explained that it picked next year for registration of UTME candidates because it wanted the reduction in the cost of selling its forms approved by the Federal Government to take effect.

The Chairman, JAMB Governing Board, Dr. Emmanuel Ndukwe, disclosed these at an event to celebrate some staff of the board who retired recently in Abuja.

He explained that the reduction followed recommendations made by management and board of JAMB to the government because it was becoming difficult for some parents to raise the N5,000 currently charged by the board.

He hoiwever added that the reduction will affect the amount that JAMB would return to the federal government next year.

He also revealed that the board had so far offered admission to 470,000 students. “As we were in the board meeting, admission were still going on. On the screen we were seeing it. It is changing by the minute,” he said. Dr. Ndukwe said the board will fully implement the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS). “We are looking forward to the full implementation of CAPS.

That is the best thing that will happen to education in Nigeria. If any child is qualified, central admission processing system will guarantee that the person is admitted. People should be patient and pray as we are implementing CAPS, let is come into full operation from 2019. “You don’t need to know anybody to have admission and that is our mission now,” he added.