By:
NIGPOST Editorial Team
Date:
April 27, 2025
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has raised alarm over the early scheduling of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), expressing concern over the safety of students commuting at risky hours.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed strong disapproval of the early morning scheduling for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which begins as early as 6:30 a.m.
The students’ body has criticized this timing, stating that it places students in dangerous situations, especially given the current security challenges across the country.
The association, speaking through its National President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja, and the National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Samson Ajasa Adeyemi, stated that students are being forced to travel to examination centers during the early hours when security risks are heightened.
These students, the body argues, often have to navigate unsafe routes and face significant transportation challenges.
Reports have surfaced indicating that some students are forced to travel long distances to their exam centers, further exposing them to potential dangers. NANS has highlighted that such circumstances put students’ safety and well-being in jeopardy and called for immediate action from the authorities.
“The current security climate in Nigeria demands that authorities take proactive steps to ensure students’ safety, rather than putting them at risk,” the statement reads. NANS has called on JAMB to reconsider the exam schedule and make adjustments to ensure no student is required to sit for the UTME before 9:00 a.m.
The student body is also urging the Honourable Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, to intervene and protect students from the consequences of poor planning.
NANS has set a 72-hour ultimatum for JAMB to revise the UTME timetable. If the board fails to act, NANS has threatened to mobilize students across the nation for peaceful protests to demand immediate changes.
“NANS remains unwavering in its commitment to advocating for policies that protect students from unnecessary hardship and ensure their academic pursuits are not hindered,” the statement concluded.
What are your thoughts on the early UTME schedule? Join the conversation by sharing your opinions in the comments below.
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