The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it is working to set up a centre in Ottawa, Canada, to hold the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) from 2027. The UTME is the entrance exam for admission into Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions. JAMB announced the plan in a statement on its X account on Monday, October 5, after its Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, visited the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa.
The centre is meant to serve eligible Nigerians in Canada and other parts of North America. It would let them sit the exam without travelling to Nigeria only for that purpose. The board’s own wording is that it is “working towards” the centre, so this is a plan and not yet a finished arrangement.
What JAMB has said, and what it has not (the open questions)
According to JAMB, the visit involved talks between Prof. Aina and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Canada, Prof. Isaac Adewale. JAMB described the move as a way of bringing the UTME “closer to home” for Nigerians in Canada.
The reports do not say where in Ottawa the exam will be held, how much candidates will pay, how many candidates are expected, or who will qualify as “eligible.” They also do not say whether Canadian authorities have approved the plan. We have asked these as open questions, and JAMB has not yet answered them in the statements we found.
Not JAMB’s first step abroad (past foreign centres and what happened to them)
JAMB already runs the UTME in other countries. In July 2024, it held the foreign component in eight places: London, Jeddah, Buea, Accra, Cotonou, Johannesburg, Abidjan and Banjul. In July 2025, the exam was held in seven: Buea, Jeddah, London, Johannesburg, Lome, Cotonou and Accra, with Abidjan and Banjul dropped and Lome added. JAMB said it spent ₦113.8 million supervising the 2025 foreign exam.
This shows that foreign centres do change from year to year. Earlier, around 2015, a report listed seven overseas centres that included Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, which no longer appears in recent lists.
North America has also been mentioned before. In 2022, JAMB said exams would be held in New York and Berlin “in due course.” We did not find a report that those exams took place, and neither city appears in the 2024 or 2025 lists. That history is a reason to watch whether the Ottawa plan is carried through.
A long trip for one exam (why diaspora candidates want this)
For a young Nigerian in Canada, taking the UTME has meant travelling to Nigeria or to a faraway foreign centre. That means paying for flights and accommodation, taking time off school or work, and sometimes arranging visas. For many families, these costs can decide whether a child sits the exam at all.
Some families abroad want their children to study in Nigeria, because of cost, culture or a wish to return home. A centre in Ottawa would remove the need for a trip made only to write the exam.
Access, reach and the question of cost (effects)
If the plan works, it could help many diaspora families and bring more students into Nigerian universities. JAMB says foreign centres help showcase Nigerian institutions to the world and attract international students. More students from abroad could also bring fees and goodwill to Nigerian schools.
Other effects are less clear. North America is very large, and a single centre in Ottawa may still be far from candidates in places like Vancouver, Houston or Calgary. Running an exam abroad also costs money, as the 2025 supervision figure shows. Critics may ask whether that money would be better used at home, though JAMB regards the foreign exams as part of its mission.
Keeping the exam fair and the plan on track (possible solutions)
JAMB can publish the details soon: the venue, the fee, the date and who can sit. It can explain how it will verify candidates’ identity, protect the exam from cheating and ensure that the computer systems work, since earlier reviews of its computer-based tests noted problems with servers and networks.
The board can also work with Nigerian missions, diaspora groups and accredited testing venues in Canada and the United States. It can consider more than one city if demand is high, and keep candidates informed about any change. A clear timeline would also help families plan for 2027.
A promising idea that needs details (our view)
We welcome the plan. Bringing the exam closer to Nigerians abroad is a practical step that could save families money and open the door to Nigerian institutions. The fact that the board is looking beyond its usual locations shows an interest in serving the diaspora.
But a plan is not yet a centre. JAMB has changed its foreign locations before and mentioned North America before without a lasting result. We hope this time it will publish the full details and keep its 2027 promise. The test will be whether a candidate in Ottawa can register, pay and sit the UTME without confusion. If so, it will be a real gain for Nigerian education.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
