The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has recently made headlines following its decision to sanction several officials. The disciplinary action came in response to an incident involving the harassment of a female Hijab-wearing candidate at the Bafuto Institute, Ile-Iwe Bus Stop, Ejigbo, Lagos. The incident occurred during the accreditation process of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), where the candidate was initially asked to remove her hijab before entering the examination hall.
Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Head of Public Affairs of JAMB, issued a statement regretting the unfortunate event. The Board clarified that this incident, along with similar past occurrences, were not in line with its examination guidelines. Instead, they were attributed to the misjudgements of some accredited partners and officials of JAMB who were reportedly unaware of the Board’s specific policies regarding accreditation.
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Key Details of the Incident and JAMB’s Response:
The situation at the examination centre was quickly rectified by a senior official from JAMB, allowing the candidate to proceed with the usual entry checks while wearing her hijab. The swift resolution of the issue underscores JAMB’s commitment to upholding the rights of candidates to wear religious attire during examinations.
Despite the resolution at the site, JAMB has taken further steps by sanctioning the involved officials to prevent future incidents. This action serves as a deterrent to others and reaffirms the Board’s stance that ignorance of the guidelines will not be tolerated.
JAMB’s statement also highlighted that the Board does not have any policies that restrict candidates from wearing religious attire. This policy reflects the diverse religious landscape of Nigeria, which JAMB acknowledges and respects as part of its operational ethos.
Moreover, JAMB reassured the public of its dedication to its core mission: ensuring that suitably qualified candidates gain admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. The Board emphasised its commitment to fairness and equity in the management of the nation’s admission process and stated that it would not allow any individual or incident to detract from these goals.
Additional Challenges:
The 2024 UTME commenced on 19th April and has encountered some technical difficulties, affecting the smooth running of the exams. Despite these challenges, over 1.2 million candidates are expected to have completed their examinations by Monday, 22nd April 2024.
JAMB’s proactive measures in addressing both the specific incident and the broader challenges of conducting nationwide examinations illustrate its dedication to maintaining integrity and inclusivity in Nigeria’s educational assessment framework.
