Education
JAMB to clear backlog of 706,189 ‘illegal admissions’
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it would soon begin to clear the backlog of illegal admissions conducted by tertiary institutions in the country.
JAMB had recently uncovered no fewer than 706,189 illegal admissions by universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other related institutions.
JAMB’s Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, after receiving the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN’s) Award of Excellence on Friday in Abuja on Sunday, explained that the move was to rescue students who have the requisite qualifications but were admitted illegally.
“On the issue of illegal admission that we want to put a halt to, we want to clear the backlog and ensure that those of them who have been improperly admitted but have the minimum qualification are rescued.
“We want to continue the campaign to discourage those who are committing such illegal action to stop doing such,” Oloyede said.
He expressed deep appreciation to ECAN for considering him worthy of the award.
The JAMB boss added, “We appreciate the gesture and I want to assure you that you have not done this in vain. The objective of presenting this award will be attained. The purpose is to be able to encourage us to do more of what has been assigned to us by the Federal Government. I assure you, we will deliver on the mandate.”
On the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Oloyede said the Board has decided to adopt a cashless system in the registration process, adding that JAMB would also prohibit Computer Based Test (CBT) centres from selling e-PINs to guard against extortion of candidates.
“On our campaign on cashless CBT centres particularly during our registration exercise. It is known that many CBT centres, despite the supervision, still manage to exploit candidates.
“We want to put a stop to that, we have intensified monitoring but part of what we are doing is to ensure we protect the students against this extortion, and that is why we are asking all those (the candidates pay through us) and we will pay the centres (their service charge). with this, anybody who collects money from the centre would have been seen to have done a wrong thing because you are not supposed to collect any money you.
“We are also going to ensure that ePIN is not something that they will be selling at the (CBT) centres. We will ensure that anybody who wants to sell ePIN will not be a CBT centre, once you are a CBT centre you have lost the right to sell ePIN so that we can hold the ePIN sellers responsible for what they do. Once you are a CBT centre you cannot also say you want to sell ePIN.”
Lauding the media for its role as a representative of the people and in promotion of good governance, Oloyede called for support in the various campaigns embarked upon by the Board to ensure a better admission system.
“We appeal for support (on the issue) of fake certificates. Issuance and usage of fake certificates to secure admission into our institutions particularly at the A level candidates.
“We are working very hard to tighten the noose and make it impossible for those who engage in such an illicit action to succeed.
“The next issue is the campaign we have just introduced; Physical and Health Education and Computer Studies as UTME subjects. We are asking and sensitizing the public, particularly the students who are to take the exam, that these are two Science subjects that will be added to their choice to widen opportunities for candidates to be able to access tertiary education,” he said.
Earlier, the chairman of ECAN, Chuks Ukwuatu, said the Award of Excellence, which comes every five years, was bestowed on Oloyede for his achievements in JAMB.
Ukwuatu, who said the award was initiated to encourage performance, also noted that Oloyede was singled out for the award for promoting transparency, sanitising the nation’s admission system, weekly publication of financial transactions of the Board, among others.
“The award was initiated to encourage performance because we know if we get it right in education, we will also get it right in all spheres of the economy,” he said.
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede (FEDPA), Oyo State, Dr. Taofeek Abdul-Hameed, has been honoured with the Leadership Excellence and Education Icon Award in recognition of his contributions to the education sector and national development.
The award was presented by Bollyjoe Media Communications Ltd, a media and communications firm based in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Wednesday.
Presenting the award, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Joseph Uzuakpundu Bollyjoe, said Abdul-Hameed was recognised for his selfless service and transformative leadership within Nigeria’s polytechnic education system.
He noted that under the Rector’s stewardship, the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, had witnessed strategic reforms aimed at strengthening academic standards and promoting institutional stability.
According to him, the Rector’s policies have repositioned the institution for sustainable growth and aligned its technical education programmes with global best practices.
Since assuming office, the Rector has prioritised infrastructural development, administrative discipline and innovation-driven governance, earning commendations from stakeholders.
Reacting to the honour, Abdul-Hameed, described the award as a motivation to further deepen reforms and consolidate on existing achievements.
“This recognition is not just personal; it reflects the dedication of our management, staff and students who share the vision of building a globally competitive institution,” the Rector said.
He added that the polytechnic would remain committed to excellence, integrity and continuous development in line with national educational aspirations.
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday described the Federal Polytechnic Ayede as the best-performing among federal polytechnics established in 2021, commending its infrastructural expansion and academic stability as the institution graduated 325 students at its maiden convocation ceremony.
Tinubu, who is the Visitor to the institution, was represented by the Director, Polytechnics and Allied Institutions, Dr. Usman Ejeh. He said the polytechnic’s achievements within five years were “remarkable and strategic,” adding that its growth aligns with the Federal Government’s reform agenda for technical and vocational education.
“The Federal Polytechnic Ayede has distinguished itself among its peers established in 2021. Its commitment to infrastructure, skills acquisition, and academic stability clearly positions it as a model institution,” he said.
The President noted that his administration had introduced key reforms, including the students’ loan scheme under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, curriculum modernisation, infrastructural renewal, and digital skills expansion to reposition the education sector.
“We are determined to build institutions that will produce innovators, entrepreneurs, and solution providers for our economy,” he added, urging the management to consolidate on existing gains.
Earlier, the Rector, Dr. Taofeek Abdul-Hameed, described the combined convocation for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions as a defining milestone in the institution’s history.
“We gather here today to officially present to the world the first set of graduates produced by the Federal Polytechnic Ayede. This indeed calls for celebration,” he said.
The rector expressed appreciation to Tinubu for policies aimed at strengthening technical education and acknowledged the support of regulatory and funding agencies, including the National Board for Technical Education and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, for accreditation and infrastructural interventions that accelerated the institution’s development.
He disclosed that 138 students graduated in the 2023/2024 session and 187 in the 2024/2025 session, bringing the total number of graduands to 325.
According to him, Miss Taiwo Ibukunoluwa Arinola of Science Laboratory Technology and Mr. Olapese Quadri Ayofe of Agricultural Technology emerged as the overall best graduating students for their respective sessions with a cumulative grade point average of 3.96.
Beyond the award of National Diploma certificates, Abdul-Hameed said each graduand obtained at least two additional vocational certifications through the Centre for Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development.
“Our graduates are not just job seekers but employers of labour. We have deliberately equipped them with relevant entrepreneurial and technical competencies,” he said, adding that 68 major projects had been executed across the temporary and permanent sites through TETFund interventions, Federal Government appropriations, and donor support.
The projects, he said, include a main administrative building, ICT centre, health centre, engineering workshops, and improved power infrastructure, while the institution also recorded over 64 research projects and nine TETFund-supported fabrication innovations. He also reaffirmed the polytechnic’s resolve to relocate fully to its permanent site in Ayede, Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area, and appealed for improved access roads and hostel accommodation.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Hon. Yakubu Dati, described the ceremony as a celebration of vision and collective commitment, urging government, corporate organisations, and well-meaning Nigerians to support the institution with critical infrastructure, particularly road networks and student hostels, through direct intervention or Public-Private Partnership arrangements. He commended the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government, and the host community for sustaining a peaceful environment, and appreciated the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, who was also the guest lecturer, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, for supporting the construction of an access road to the institution.
Fellowship awards were conferred on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji; and Dr Abubakar Isa.
The event attracted traditional rulers, including the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye; the Timi of Ede, Oba Adesola Munirudeen Lawal; and the Aresa of Iresapupa, Oba Moses Olayiwola Ajiboye, as well as Senators Ayo Adeseun, Abdulfatai Buhari, prominent Ogbomoso leaders, rectors of sister polytechnics, scholars, and other dignitaries.
Education
Oyo: Speaker Abbas, NRS Chair, Adedeji to Attend Ayede Polytechnic’s Maiden Convocation as 325 Set to Graduate
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas, and the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr. Zacch Adelabu Adedeji, will on Thursday grace the maiden combined convocation ceremony of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Oyo State, where no fewer than 325 students will be awarded National Diploma certificates.
The Pioneer Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Taofeek Abdul-Hameed, disclosed this on Monday during a pre-convocation press conference at the institution’s Permanent Site in Ayede, describing the event as “a defining milestone” in the history of the young federal institution.
“This is the first convocation of the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, since its establishment on January 19, 2021, and it marks our transition from take-off to consolidation,” the Rector said.
Abdul-Hameed said the speaker would chair the convocation lecture, while the NRS boss, Adedeji would deliver the lecture titled, ‘The Role of Technology in Implementing Nigeria’s New Tax Laws: Challenges and Prospects’, noting that the calibre of invited dignitaries reflected the institution’s rising national profile.
“The presence of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service underscores the growing relevance of the Polytechnic in national development discourse,” he said.
According to the Rector, the combined convocation covers the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic sessions and will span six days, featuring a novelty football match, convocation lecture, award of National Diploma certificates, and the conferment of fellowship honours.
He disclosed that 138 students completed their programmes in the 2023/2024 academic session, while 187 students graduated in the 2024/2025 session, bringing the total number of graduands to 325.
On academic expansion, Abdul-Hameed said the Polytechnic commenced academic activities in 2023 with four National Diploma programmes but has grown to run 13 fully accredited ND programmes across five schools.
“We currently operate across the Schools of Engineering, Environmental Technology, Management Sciences, Science and Technology, and Agricultural Technology, all with full NBTE accreditation,” he stated.
The Rector attributed the institution’s rapid growth to sustained support from the Federal Government under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside interventions from the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Board for Technical Education, and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
“These interventions have strengthened our capacity in programme accreditation, staff development, and infrastructure delivery,” he said.
Abdul-Hameed further revealed that the Polytechnic had executed 68 major infrastructural, ICT, and utility projects across its Permanent and Temporary campuses, adding that work was ongoing on the access road linking the Permanent Site from Idi-Araba.
“While we have made significant progress, we still require support in access roads, student hostels, power supply, water facilities, and digital infrastructure to sustain our growth,” the Rector appealed.
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