The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has explained its decision to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centre in Canada from 2027.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Segun Aina, said the proposed centre in Ottawa is designed mainly to expand access to the examination for Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America.
The planned centre followed Professor Aina’s visit to the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, where discussions were held on the possibility of making the UTME more accessible to Nigerians living in the country.
According to JAMB, the centre is expected to begin operations during the 2027 UTME exercise. It will allow eligible Nigerians in Canada to sit for the examination without travelling to Nigeria specifically to write the test.
The announcement generated public discussion, with some Nigerians questioning the need for another overseas examination centre and the cost involved.
Responding to the concerns, Professor Aina explained that JAMB’s decision was not primarily driven by the number of candidates or the possibility of generating additional revenue.
He said the examination body already conducts UTME in several countries outside Nigeria as a service to Nigerians living abroad.
JAMB currently has foreign examination centres in countries including the United Kingdom, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Cameroon, Benin Republic, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea and Burkina Faso.
The board said the proposed Canadian centre would particularly benefit Nigerians who want to gain admission into Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions but live far from Nigeria.
Under the current Nigerian admission system, candidates seeking admission into universities and other tertiary institutions generally need to participate in the UTME before proceeding with the admission process.
JAMB said the Canadian centre would therefore remove one of the major logistical difficulties faced by Nigerians abroad who wish to study in Nigeria.
The board also described the initiative as part of efforts to strengthen the relationship between Nigerians in the diaspora and Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
More than two million candidates took part in the 2026 UTME, highlighting the size and importance of the examination in Nigeria’s education system. However, the number of candidates expected from Canada is much smaller than the number taking the examination in Nigeria.
JAMB said the foreign centres are provided as a service to candidates rather than as a commercial venture.
The proposed Ottawa centre will also add to the board’s growing international examination network. In 2026, 379 candidates registered across the existing 10 foreign centres, according to JAMB information reported by PUNCH.
Professor Aina said the Canadian initiative would make the Nigerian tertiary education system more accessible to Nigerians living abroad.
The move could also encourage more Nigerians in the diaspora to consider Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions for their education.
JAMB has not yet released detailed information on the exact location of the Ottawa centre, registration arrangements or examination dates for the 2027 UTME.
The board is expected to provide further information as preparations for the 2027 examination progress.
