The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has confirmed it will commence registration for the 2019/2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in January.

The Chairman of the Governing Board, Dr. Emmanuel Ndukwe, announced the new date to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, during a ceremony to celebrate some staff of the board who retired recently.

Some unverified report had claimed that JAMB would begin registration in December. But Dr Ndukwe debunked it as fake news.

The registration fee is N3,500 as approved by the Federal Government recently.

Ndukwe explained that the reduction followed recommendations made by management and board of JAMB to the Federal Government because it was becoming difficult for some parents to raise the N5,000 currently charged by the board.

While commending the government for approving the reduction, Ndukwe said that the development may affect the board’s remittance to the Federal Government in the coming year.

“You are aware that the Federal Government has reduced the cost of JAMB forms from N5,000 to N3,500 but it is going to take effect from next year.

“Therefore, if we start selling the forms today, we will still sell at the cost of N5,000 because the approval does not cover for now, that is why we have shifted the sale of the forms to any date from first of January.

“It is a very good move from the Federal Government based on our recommendations.

“Even though we are returning money to the coffers of the Federal Government, our primary objective is not just to make money.

“That money is coming from somewhere and it is difficult for some people to raise that money and pay for the forms, even though JAMB form is among the cheapest in the whole world,” he said.

Ndukwe also said that the 2018/ 2019 admissions had so far been offered to 470,000 candidates while adding that the process, was ongoing.

He added that the board would fully implement the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) in its subsequent process of admissions as it was “the best thing that will happen to education in Nigeria.”

“If any child is qualified, CAPS system will guarantee that he or she is admitted.”

CAPS will come into full operation from 2019. You don’t need to know anybody to have admission and that is our mission now,” he added. (NAN)

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