JAMB to open UTME centre in Ottawa, Canada from 2027

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said it will establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centre in Ottawa, Canada, with operations expected to begin in 2027.

The board disclosed the plan on its official social media channels following a visit by JAMB registrar Prof. Segun Aina to the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, according to multiple reports. The announcement said the proposed centre would provide a testing location for Nigerians living in Canada.

Purpose and JAMB’s explanation

In remarks reported by Punch, Prof. Aina described the move as an effort to expand access to education rather than to raise revenue. He said the Ottawa centre would serve Nigerians in Canada and, he indicated, other applicants who need an overseas testing location. The full text of Aina’s comments was published by Punch; other outlets reported the registrar’s visit and the planned start date.

How the plan was disclosed and next steps

Premium Times and Daily Post reported that the plan was discussed during Aina’s meeting at the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa. Nairametrics, Daily Post and Premium Times all reported the 2027 start date; JAMB’s social media channels also carried the announcement.

None of the reports published detailed timelines for accreditation, test-day logistics, candidate capacity, fees or the exact administrative arrangements for running the overseas centre. JAMB has not released a public timetable for registration or a formal operational plan in the reports cited.

Why it matters: establishing an official UTME centre abroad would offer a designated option for Nigerians in the Canadian diaspora and possibly other overseas candidates who currently travel or rely on local arrangements to sit the examination. It signals JAMB’s intent to broaden the geographic reach of its services, according to the registrar’s explanation to the Nigerian High Commission.

JAMB will need to follow regulatory and logistical steps before the centre can open, and further details are expected as the board progresses its plans toward the 2027 start date.