A Professor of Comparative Political Economy at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Adelaja Odukoya, has accused the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) of exploiting prospective students through excessive charges for its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Delivering UNILAG’s sixth inaugural lecture for the academic session, titled “Armageddon,” Odukoya criticized JAMB’s centralized admission system, calling it outdated and an infringement on university autonomy. He argued that JAMB should not function as a revenue-generating body and that its earnings rightfully belong to universities.
“We are allowing JAMB and its registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, to exploit hapless admission seekers with endless charges for uploading, downloading, and checking results,” Odukoya said. He described JAMB as a “big behemoth” whose relevance has expired, urging universities to reclaim their admission process.
He also criticized Nigeria’s political class for their greed, which he said has worsened poverty, insecurity, and underdevelopment in Africa despite abundant resources. He called for leadership focused on social justice and collective progress to prevent Nigeria and Africa from becoming globally irrelevant.
UNILAG’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, represented by her deputy, Prof. Bola Oboh, praised Odukoya as a fearless defender of the powerless. She expressed hope that his lecture would spark meaningful reforms in Nigeria’s education and governance systems.
Source: Tribune
