N IGERIA: More than a million to sit university entrance exam

More than a million candidates were due to sit the Universities Matriculation Examination on 17 May at 1,979 centres across N igeria and in five foreign countries - a whopping 15% increase over last year as demand for higher education escalates - reports Leadership. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board announced stringent security plans to keep the examination fraud-free.

Registrar of JAMB, Professor 'Dibu Ojerinde, announced a total of 1,054,043 candidates - an increase of 142,364 over last year's figure of 911,679 - and predicted that numbers would continue to increase due to an upsurge in the number of students seeking university places. The examination will be held in 169 towns in Nigeria and five other countries, he added, and the Board had mobilised 46 coordinating institutions and supervisors for the exercise.

Ojerinde reiterated the board's determination to prevent examination malpractices. Security guards will monitor the exam centres, complemented by police and an Independent Examination Watch Group. Also, he said: "To forestall examination malpractices by candidates, the board intends to experiment with a device that will demobilise all phones and communication gadgets within and around the examination halls."
Full report on the AllAfrica.com site