The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said it would provide necessary support to ensure that Nigerian students evacuated from war-torn Sudan are admitted into the nation’s universities.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made this known Tuesday in Abuja when the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, led others to JAMB headquarters to discuss modalities for integrating the affected students into tertiary institutions in the country.
Oloyede, who empathised with the students, commended NIDCOM for the effective handling of their evacuation, adding that JAMB would ensure the students get the desired support.
He said, “What we will do is that we will provide the necessary infrastructure, the necessary enablement to make you accommodate or return these candidates (students) to our educational system.”
The registrar, however, called on the students not to tread the path of those who returned to the country over a year ago as a result of Ukraine’s war, but refused to comply with the stipulated procedures that would have ensured they continue their academic programmes seamlessly in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
“We must thank NIDCOM for making efforts that the students are brought into the Nigerian university system and we have given the Commission the process and procedure…
“There are procedures (for transfer of students) ; the transcript, the rules and regulations, and that nobody should be by any illusion believe that Nigerian university will award certificate with less than two years stay and residency in the university, and the procedure is done legitimately and properly with the cooperation of the National Universities Commission and the individual institution.
“The guideline from JAMB has already been handed over to the chairperson of the Commission.”
Explaining further on the issue of spending minimum of two academic sessions for students who transferred to any Nigerian university, Oloyede said: “If you are doing a five-year programme, you will go to year four, because you are going to spend year 4 and year 5.
“For instance, if you are studying Medicine and you are in your 600 level, and if the Medical and Dental Council assesses what you have done; practical is okay, they will just move you to year 5, 500 level. You will do 500 level and 600 level, and you will have the certificate of the institution in Nigeria.”
On her part, NIDCOM chairperson, Dabiri-Erewa, said 1,730 Nigerians have been evacuated from Sudan as of Tuesday, adding that majority of them are students eager to continue their education in Nigeria while waiting for the war to be over.
The NIDCOM boss assured that the necessary procedures will be followed to integrate the affected students into Nigerian schools.
