The Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND announced plans on Friday to allocate budgetary provisions for the establishment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres in all 774 local government areas (LGAs) across Nigeria.
These centres are intended to support candidates sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and other computer-based tests conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
While monitoring the ongoing UTME in Abuja, Committee Chairman Senator Mohammed Dandutse (APC – Katsina South) expressed concern over the lack of ICT centres in several LGAs. He stressed the importance of ensuring easier access to exams for admission-seeking students.
“In my district alone, only two of eleven LGAs have ICT centres for UTME,” he said. “Since the exam is computer-based, we must ensure that centres are established in every LGA. We in the Senate, alongside our counterparts in the House of Representatives, will push for budgetary support in the 2026 fiscal year.”
During the visit, JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin revealed that the board currently operates 880 ICT centres nationwide but acknowledged they are not evenly distributed across all LGAs. He welcomed the Senate’s proposal and expressed optimism about future collaborations to expand coverage.
Benjamin also addressed concerns about technical issues during the exams, assuring the committee that the system is designed to function smoothly and not impact candidates’ performance.
Other committee members on the oversight visit included Senators Jibrin Isah (Kogi East) and Diket Plang (Plateau Central), who commended JAMB for the smooth organization of the UTME so far.
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