Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over what he described as exploitative and insensitive handling of students' academic requests particularly the skyrocketing cost of changing courses or institutions.
In a post shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, Obi narrated a troubling experience he had while passing through Amawbia, Anambra State, where he encountered a large gathering of students outside the JAMB office.
According to him, the scene was distressing: hundreds of young people, some climbing fences, anxiously waited to resolve their admission issues.
“I stopped and spoke with some of them,” Obi said. “They explained that they were there to change their course or institution, which I thought could typically be done at JAMB-approved CBT centres. But to my surprise, they told me that most centres had stopped offering the service.”
Obi disclosed that his inquiries revealed that out of the 28 JAMB-accredited CBT centres in the state, 17 had been blacklisted. Shockingly, many of these centres were not given clear explanations for the action only told they were “under investigation.”
This has forced students from far-flung parts of Anambra to make repeated, often unsuccessful, trips to the state’s JAMB office to access a basic service. Some, he noted, had made up to five futile visits before receiving any assistance.
More alarmingly, he decried the exorbitant fees now being charged for these services. What was formerly a ₦1,500 transaction at CBT centres is now costing up to ₦15,000 at JAMB offices a figure Obi says is often inflated with unofficial charges.
“The consequences are far-reaching,” he said. “Students now travel long distances, bearing financial, emotional, and physical strain. Some are unable to complete the process, missing deadlines and losing opportunities to transfer to their preferred institutions.”
He further warned that the situation has placed many students at risk of missing out on post-UTME screenings, as several universities have already commenced the process, putting affected students at a clear disadvantage.
“This is happening in a country already dealing with severe economic hardship, insecurity, and high youth unemployment. For students and their parents to endure this level of stress just to access essential academic services is not only unjust it is entirely avoidable.”
Obi called on JAMB and relevant authorities to adopt a more student-friendly and compassionate approach, especially in light of Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions. He urged the board to review its processes, decentralize services, and ensure that fees remain affordable and transparent.
“We cannot continue to frustrate young Nigerians who are simply trying to build a better future through education,” he concluded.
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