Historical Assessment of Jamb Admission Process in Nigerian Universities: Stakeholders’ Perceptions on the Politics of Zones and Regions

Abstract

This study examined the historical assessment of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) admission process in Nigerian universities with emphasis on stakeholders’ perceptions of the politics of zones and regions. The study investigated the historical development of JAMB admissions, the influence of regional and zonal politics, the effects of quota system, catchment area and Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS) policies, factors responsible for students’ preference for Southwestern universities, implications of regional admission policies, and the reforms and challenges associated with the admission process. A historical research design was adopted. The population comprised JAMB records, government documents, university admission statistics, policy papers, and relevant stakeholders. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 672 respondents, including JAMB officials, lecturers, parents, and students. Data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire validated by experts in Measurement and Evaluation, with a Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.84. The study was analyzed using descriptive statistic of frequency counts and mean. The results show that respondents acknowledge the progressive changes made to JAMB admission procedure such as the introduction of UTME, CBT and the admission policy with emphasis on merit, catchment area and ELDS criteria. Respondents view admission as influenced by politics of zone/region via differences in cut off marks, federal character, and catchment policies. They acknowledged that while quota and ELDS policies were an inclusion mechanism, they do not believe it encourages the spirit of meritocracy and fairness. Respondents favor Southwestern universities because of its perceived quality of education, stability in academic calendar and future employment opportunity. Conclusion of the study shows that although the JAMB admission procedure has been an improvement in term of transparency and efficiency in admissions into universities, concerns about equity, quality and number of admission places and disparities among regions are evident in the admission process. It recommends that government should try and uphold merit based admission, periodically review policies in relation to the stated objectives and carry out necessary upgrade to existing infrastructure as well as continually monitor the process.