The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disclosed that it expended a total of N113.8 million to supervise the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in seven countries abroad.
The foreign centres included Buea (Cameroon), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), London (United Kingdom), Johannesburg (South Africa), Lome (Togo), Cotonou (Benin Republic), and Accra (Ghana).
The examination, held on July 12, 2025, is part of JAMB’s strategic efforts to provide access to higher education for Nigerians and other candidates residing outside the country.JAMB noted that hosting the UTME in these countries has not only served Nigerians in the diaspora but also significantly boosted the visibility of Nigeria’s tertiary institutions on the global stage. According to the board, this international dimension of the UTME has been instrumental in drawing the attention of foreign students to opportunities within the Nigerian education system.
In a related move, the board announced that it has now factored in the number of foreign students admitted by a university as one of the criteria for the National Tertiary Admissions Performance Merit Award (NATAP M-Award), which honours institutions excelling in student recruitment from abroad.In a review of its 2024 operations, JAMB recalled that the UTME was conducted in eight foreign countries, including Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) and Banjul (The Gambia), alongside the seven earlier mentioned locations.
The consistent organisation of the UTME in foreign centres, according to JAMB, underscores its commitment to promoting Nigerian education beyond national borders. It also reflects efforts to position Nigeria as an emerging hub for international education in West Africa and beyond, with more institutions now opening their doors to international enrolments.
