Scrap Post-UTME, Stakeholders Tell Tinubu

The debate over the relevance of the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) has once again become a contentious issue among stakeholders, particularly in the Southeast. Where parents, students, teachers, and education activists are calling for it to be scrapped.

In a recent plea to President Bola Tinubu, they insisted that the Post-UTME has become an unnecessary burden on families and a tool for exploitation, rather than an actual test of merit.

For many years, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been responsible for administering tests to candidates seeking admission to universities. However, several universities still require an additional Post-UTME, which means extra costs, stress, and sometimes confusion for candidates.

In Ebonyi State, parent Chukwu Ogamdi did not mince words: “The Post-UTME is no longer about academics. It is a revenue-generating scheme,” he said, stressing that families already pay heavily for JAMB registration.

Students share the same frustration. Lizzy Nwafor, an admission seeker, said the process discourages young Nigerians from furthering their education. “After JAMB, you still face another test. It is too much,” she lamented.

Civil society activist Emmanuel Okorie added that the existence of Post-UTME undermines the role of JAMB. “If JAMB was set up to unify admission, why allow another test? It is like saying JAMB is not competent,” he argued.

Teachers are also raising their voices. Nkeiruka Akam, a secondary school teacher, said the policy had outlived its usefulness. “The purpose has been defeated. It is now about money, not merit,” she said.

However, not everyone agrees that scrapping Post-UTME is the answer. Charles Igwe, an admission officer at Peaceland University, Enugu, explained that while his school does not conduct a Post-UTME, some larger institutions need it to manage the large number of applicants. He argued that exam malpractice during JAMB sometimes necessitates an additional layer of testing.

Patrick Ugwu, registrar of the same university, supported that view, pointing out that schools like the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) rely on Post-UTME to select only the most qualified candidates.

However, many parents and prospective students in Anambra state welcomed the recent shift from physical Post-UTME tests to online screenings. Universities like Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) now use uploaded JAMB scores and O’Level results instead of fresh exams. Parents have said that this will save costs and reduce stress, though some worry about transparency and internet failures.

Education analysts remind Nigerians that the Post-UTME was first introduced in 2005 to combat JAMB malpractice, particularly during the era of paper-based exams. However, with JAMB now fully computer-based since 2013, they argue the extra test is no longer necessary.

Calls are therefore growing for the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to intervene. For many parents, the message is clear: one exam is enough.