The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on Monday laid the foundation stone of the 500-seater computer Based Test Centre (CBT), Joint Admission and Marticulation Board (JAMB) at the Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare in Bauchi State.
The project, sponsored by the Nigerian Communication Commission, is expected to be completed in 90 days.
The minister, who was represented by the Vice Chancellor, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, University ( ATBU) Bauchi, Professor Saminu Ibrahim, said that the NCC and JAMB created a healthy synergy in carrying out the presidential directive for the establishment of JAMB Computer Based Test centres to provide easy access to candidates to writing JAMB tests using technology.
Adamu commended JAMB over the establishment of Computer Based Centres (CBTs) across the country, saying
the establishment of the CBT centres has broadened access to technology-based tests as obtained elsewhere in the world.
He said, “Innovations brought by JAMB have helped in saving a lot of resources for the government which has led to the remittance of billions of Naira which was not witnessed in the past.
“In this light, I want to commend the registrar of JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, for his commitment to widen access to modern education by the creation of CBT centres across the country and also remitting the sum of N8 billion back to the coffers of the Federal government”.
Also, the JAMB registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyode, said that JAMB was determined to fully transit form the traditional form of conducting tests for candidates by the use of modern technology.
Oloyode who was represented by Director Test Administration, Dr. Yusuf Lawal, said that since its establishment in 1977, JAMB has been carrying out its mandate of regulating admission intake successfully in the country.
He thereby urged heads of educational institutions to continue collaborating with JAMB by providing vital information on their programmes and policies.
Oloyode added that such cooperation would provide a good platform to create synergy between the examination body and educational institutions which will provide quality students through selection of best candidates for the institutions.
He said that the CBT centres were being established evenly across Southern and Northern Nigeria and that pioneer centres were first established in Bayelsa and Oyo in the South while two others were established in Kano and Niger states in the North.
He also said that other centres had subsequently been established at Adamawa, Kebbi, Osun and Edo as all other centres have a 250 capacity.
In his remarks, the Provost of the college, Dr. Abdullahi Isyaku, commended NCC and JAMB for providing the centre, which he said, would serve the entire Bauchi North as the other centres were all located in Bauchi South which made it difficult for candidates from the area to access CBT centres.
The Provost also commeded the NCC for donating over 100 laptop computers to the college and the establishment of an ICT centre by the state government, which he said, has increased access to technology in the college.
(nigerianewsflight.com)
