By FUNMILAYO ADEYEMI

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said that a female candidate, Nkechinyere Umeh came top in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) with a cumulative mark of 360.

The board Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede disclosed this in Abuja on Saturday at the 2023 policy meeting for tertiary institutions.

Oloyede, while making presentation at the meeting, said Nkechinyere, an indigene of Anambra state scored 360 marks in the examination.

The JAMB registrar also unveiled the top 10 candidates, among whom were Stephen Aguele from Edo state, who scored 358 came second best; Oluwafemi Ositade from Osun state scored 358 and came third on the list.

Also listed are Gbolahan Ayinde from Lagos state scored 357; John Fulfilment from Edo state scored 356 and Chimdubem Ugonna from Imo scored 355, among others.

Oloyede also said that the University of Ilorin and the University of Lagos made the top list of the most sought after universities for the 2023 UTME.

He said that these institutions were recognised due to the attraction of high number of applicants during the 2023 UTME application period.

“The university of Ilorin came first on the list followed by the University of Lagos in the second place.

“Lagos State University is third on the list while Federal University, Oye-Ekiti is in fourth place,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, David Adejo said that the policy meeting would decide and agree on the modalities and guidelines for the 2023 admissions to tertiary institutions.

“I am aware that between the last policy meeting and now, a number of initiatives have been introduced as part of updating the existing systems.

“Let us familiarise ourselves with the changes that will be unfolded as this meeting progresses.

“I also deem it necessary to reiterate one of the resolutions of the last meeting that the admission process by the institutions should be flexible in their adherence to procedure without compromising integrity.

On curbing of illegal admissions, Adejo said that the board’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) had revolutionise the admission process, eliminated administrative bottlenecks and ensured seamless interface for both applicants and institutions.

“As usual with JAMB, specific advisories have been issued to guide different aspects of the process. I, therefore, urge every institution to continue to comply with all advisories as a matter of regulation.

“It is interesting to note that between last year and now, CAPS has been widened to become, in addition to its original purpose, a secure communication platform between JAMB and each of the Vice Chancellors, Registrars, Admission Officers and Directors of Academic Planning of tertiary institutions.

“Besides, the Integrated Brochure And Syllabus System (IBASS) has also been widened to accommodate safe and personalised communication among the three regulatory agencies, JAMB and the institutions,” he added.

He, therefore, commended the board for providing a platform on the ‘Condonement of Undisclosed Illegal Institutional Admission’ (CUIIA) for all such admissions conducted by various institutions outside of CAPS between 2017 and 2020.

He said that no condonement beyond 2020 admission would be entertained while calling on institutions to abide by the guidelines emphasised in the admission process.

He added that any admission found to have issued admission to any student outside CAPS would henceforth attract the strictest of sanctions irrespective of the status of the violator.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the policy meeting had in attendance representatives from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Vice Chancellors of Universities and Rectors of Polytechnics.

Others are Provosts of Colleges of Education (COE), Registrars and Admission Officers of tertiary institutions, Heads of Federal Agencies, National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). (NAN)

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