The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has explained why it is planning to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centre in Ottawa, Canada, saying the decision is mainly about expanding access to Nigerian tertiary education and not generating revenue.
The proposed centre is expected to begin operations for the 2027 UTME and will provide Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America with an opportunity to write the examination closer to where they live.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, gave the explanation in a series of posts on X on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, following questions and concerns about the planned Canadian examination centre.
JAMB UTME Centre in Canada: What Is the Plan?
JAMB announced the proposed Ottawa centre after the Registrar visited the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa.
The centre is expected to make it easier for eligible Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America to sit for the UTME without travelling to Nigeria specifically to write the examination.
This means that a Nigerian living in Canada who wants to gain admission into a Nigerian university, polytechnic or other tertiary institution could potentially write the UTME in Canada instead of making a trip to Nigeria solely for the examination.
JAMB said the initiative is part of its broader effort to make the examination more accessible to Nigerians living outside the country.
Why Is JAMB Taking UTME to Canada?
According to Prof. Segun Aina, the major reason is access to education, not revenue.
The Registrar explained that JAMB already conducts the UTME in about 10 countries outside Nigeria as a service to eligible candidates.
He said the number of candidates in a particular country is not necessarily the main factor JAMB considers when deciding where to provide an examination centre.
Aina explained that JAMB also conducts examinations in correctional service centres for the same access-related reason.
His argument is that the purpose of providing an examination location is not simply to determine whether a particular centre will generate enough money.
Instead, the focus is on removing barriers that could prevent eligible candidates from participating in the Nigerian admission process.
Why Ottawa?
Ottawa was chosen for the proposed Canadian centre because it is home to the Nigerian High Commission in Canada.
JAMB plans to work with the Nigerian diplomatic mission rather than establish a completely separate permanent examination facility.
The arrangement is similar to how the board operates examination centres in other countries where it works with Nigerian diplomatic missions.
This approach means JAMB does not have to build a new permanent facility from scratch.
JAMB Will Use Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa
One of the concerns raised about the proposed centre was whether JAMB would have to acquire or rent a permanent building and employ additional workers in Canada.
Aina said this would not be necessary.
He explained that JAMB partners with Nigerian High Commissions in countries where it conducts the UTME.
According to him, the board can establish a temporary examination space within the diplomatic mission's premises and receive assistance from diplomatic staff during the examination.
Therefore, the proposed Ottawa centre should not be understood as JAMB purchasing or establishing a large permanent CBT facility in Canada.
JAMB Says No Money Has Been Spent on the Canada Centre
The Registrar also addressed concerns about how much money JAMB had already spent on the proposed Canadian centre.
Aina said no money had been spent on the proposed centre so far.
He explained that discussions about the arrangement started when he travelled to Canada for a conference and used the opportunity to establish contact with the Nigerian High Commission regarding the proposed examination arrangement.
This clarification is important because some of the concerns surrounding the announcement were based on the assumption that JAMB had already committed substantial funds to establishing a permanent examination centre.
According to the Registrar, that is not the case.
Will JAMB Build a Permanent CBT Centre in Canada?
No.
Based on the explanation from the Registrar, JAMB does not plan to establish a permanent CBT centre in Ottawa for this purpose.
Instead, the UTME would be conducted using temporary arrangements within the Nigerian High Commission's premises.
The arrangement is expected to help JAMB keep operational costs low while still providing access to eligible candidates living in Canada and other parts of North America.
Who Will Benefit From the JAMB Canada UTME Centre?
The proposed centre is primarily intended for eligible Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America who want to sit for the UTME and seek admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
This could include:
Nigerian citizens living in Canada.
Nigerian families who have relocated to Canada.
Nigerian children living abroad who want to study in Nigeria.
Children of Nigerian public servants posted abroad.
Other eligible Nigerians in North America seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Aina specifically mentioned Nigerians who move abroad and children of public servants serving outside Nigeria as examples of people who could benefit from greater access to the examination.
Can Nigerians in Canada Use the Centre to Study in Nigeria?
Yes, that is the purpose of the proposed arrangement.
The UTME is the entrance examination used by eligible candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions through the JAMB admission process.
Therefore, a Nigerian living in Canada who wants to pursue tertiary education in Nigeria would have an easier way to participate in the UTME once the Ottawa arrangement becomes operational.
JAMB's original announcement said the proposed centre would allow eligible Nigerians in Canada and across North America to sit the examination without travelling to Nigeria solely for the UTME.
When Will JAMB Start UTME in Canada?
The proposed Ottawa centre is expected to commence operations for the 2027 UTME.
The announcement does not mean that candidates can already register for a Canadian UTME examination centre.
Rather, JAMB is working towards establishing the arrangement ahead of the 2027 examination.
Candidates should therefore wait for JAMB's official registration information and instructions concerning the Canadian centre when the 2027 UTME registration process begins.
Will the Canada Centre Be Available for 2026 UTME?
No.
The proposed centre is expected to begin with the 2027 UTME.
The announcement therefore concerns the next examination cycle and is particularly relevant to Nigerians in Canada who intend to seek admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions through the 2027 admission process.
How Many Countries Does JAMB Conduct UTME Outside Nigeria?
According to Registrar Segun Aina, JAMB currently conducts the UTME in about 10 countries outside Nigeria.
He said these international examination centres are part of the board's effort to improve access to Nigerian tertiary education for eligible candidates living abroad.
JAMB has previously operated overseas examination arrangements in countries including the United Kingdom, Ghana, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Côte d'Ivoire, among others.
The proposed Ottawa centre would therefore expand JAMB's existing overseas examination network into North America.
Why Has JAMB Not Had a North American UTME Centre Before?
Aina pointed out that although JAMB already has examination centres in several African countries and other locations outside Nigeria, there had not been a centre in North America.
The proposed Ottawa centre would address that gap.
He also argued that the absence of a previous North American examination centre should not be used as evidence that there are no potential candidates in the region.
In simple terms, candidates could not have been writing the UTME from North America through a JAMB centre when no such centre existed there in the first place.
Is JAMB Establishing the Canada Centre to Make Money?
According to the Registrar, no.
Aina's explanation was that the primary objective is to improve access to Nigerian tertiary education.
He argued that JAMB's overseas examination centres should be viewed as a service to eligible Nigerians rather than facilities established primarily according to their financial viability.
This is also why he compared the international examination arrangements with JAMB's examinations in correctional service centres, where access is also the main consideration.
JAMB Says More Than 100 Candidates Have Shown Interest
JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin also defended the proposed Ottawa centre.
He said the board had already received indications of interest from more than 100 prospective candidates in Canada who want to sit for the examination there.
This gives an indication that there is already some interest among Nigerians in Canada, even before the proposed centre begins operation.
The figure also supports JAMB's argument that the Canadian centre could serve Nigerians who would otherwise have to travel to Nigeria to take the examination.
What This Means for Nigerians in Canada
For Nigerians living in Canada, the proposed centre could make the JAMB registration and examination process considerably easier.
Without an examination centre in North America, a candidate who needed to write the UTME in Nigeria could face the cost and inconvenience of travelling to Nigeria.
The proposed Ottawa arrangement could remove that particular barrier.
A candidate would still have to meet JAMB's requirements, register for the UTME, sit the examination and complete the normal admission process for the chosen institution.
The major difference would be the location where the UTME is written.
Will Writing UTME in Canada Guarantee Admission?
No.
The Ottawa centre would only provide a more convenient location for taking the UTME.
It would not automatically give a candidate admission into a Nigerian university.
Candidates would still need to:
Register for the UTME.
Meet JAMB's eligibility requirements.
Select their preferred institution and course.
Obtain the required UTME score.
Meet the admission requirements of their chosen institution.
Participate in Post-UTME or other screening where required.
Meet the institution's admission requirements.
Accept admission through the appropriate JAMB process when offered.
JAMB's current policy information lists 150 as the minimum tolerable admission score for universities, while the minimum age for admission remains 16 years, although individual institutions and programmes can have higher requirements.
Conclusion
JAMB's proposed UTME centre in Ottawa, Canada, is expected to begin operations with the 2027 UTME.
According to Registrar Prof. Segun Aina, the main reason for establishing the centre is to make the Nigerian tertiary education system more accessible to eligible Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America, rather than to create a revenue-generating facility.
JAMB plans to work with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, using temporary facilities and diplomatic support instead of building or renting a permanent CBT centre.
The Registrar also said no money had been spent on the proposed centre so far, explaining that discussions began during his visit to Canada for a conference.
For Nigerians in Canada who want to study in Nigeria, this could become an important development because they may no longer need to travel to Nigeria solely to sit the UTME once the Ottawa centre becomes operational.
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