Parents, students and education stakeholders in Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger states have expressed divergent views on the conduct of the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) as a prerequisite for admission into Nigerian universities.
While some respondents described the screening as a necessary tool to ensure merit-based admissions, others faulted it as archaic, stressful, and an additional financial burden on candidates and their families.
In Kogi, Dr. Charles Williams, Rector of the Nigeria-Korea Friendship Institute of Vocational and Advanced Technology, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja that the Post-UTME remained an effective measure to complement the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
“The Post-UTME came into existence when JAMB’s credibility was being doubted. Institutions sought to further screen candidates to ensure that only the most qualified were admitted,” he said.
A parent and former Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Kogi, Dr. Simeon Omakoji, also described the exercise as necessary, provided it remained free of fraud.
Similarly, a student of the Federal University, Lokoja, Miss Grace Ogundare, said the examination provided a fair means of assessment.
However, the Chairman of Kogi NGO Network (KONGONET), Mr. Hamza Aliyu, disagreed, describing the examination as unnecessary.
“The Post-UTME negates the centralised system of admission embedded in the education policy,” he said, advocating a decentralised system where institutions determine their own processes.
Other parents and students, including Mrs. Joy Adaji, Mr. Biobaku Chris, Mrs. Ammy Elijah and Mr. Ogundare Samuel, faulted the exercise, citing travel stress, insecurity, accommodation challenges, and additional costs. They alleged that the system encouraged exploitation and corruption.
In Nasarawa, applicants such as Miss Patience Emmanuel and Mr. Peter Samuel supported the screening, saying it allowed candidates to defend their JAMB and O’Level results.
Meanwhile, other stakeholders, including Mr. Michael Akawu and Mr. Saidu Musa, called for its abolition, describing it as exploitative. Musa questioned why institutions that admit about 2,000 students subject over 10,000 candidates to Post-UTME fees, urging schools to organise screenings free of charge to relieve parents of financial strain.
In Niger, Dr. Abdullahi Jabi, a communications expert, urged the Federal Government to adopt online Post-UTME to reduce costs and risks.
“To me, candidates should sit for the examinations in their localities rather than travel long distances. All they need do is indicate their institution of choice,” he said.
Other respondents, including Malam Yusuf Suleiman, Hajia Halimat Musa and Malam Nurudeen Ibrahim, lamented the risks, high costs and duplication of the admission process.
Suleiman recalled abandoning work to accompany his son to Zaria for Ahmadu Bello University’s screening, while Musa described the financial burden of travelling to Kwara State for her daughter’s examination in 2023 as “harrowing.”
They urged the authorities to increase investment in Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and direct universities to adopt online screening methods, as already practised by the Federal University of Lafia and the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti.
According to them, such measures would reduce hardship, enhance credibility, and make the admission process seamless.