The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board will soon operate from a dedicated zonal office in Borno State, with Governor Babagana Zulum announcing plans on Monday to construct facilities equipped with 550 computers at a total cost of N997 million.
Professor Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar, visited Maiduguri for the groundbreaking ceremony held along Maiduguri Dikwa Road, where he outlined how the planned infrastructure would transform access to examinations across the North East region.
The JAMB Registrar revealed that the proposed centre would accommodate 500 students writing examinations simultaneously through two sections, each housing 275 computers, and creating the capacity to process 2,000 candidates within two days.
"The centre will have 275 computers inside and 275 computers in the other section, which means at any given time, 500 students can write an exam. It also means that JAMB will be able to clear 2000 students within two days with the facility," Professor Oloyede explained.
He described the planned project as among the best multicentre CBT infrastructures that would exist anywhere in Nigeria, expressing appreciation for Governor Zulum's commitment to education as the kind of leadership the country needs. Professor Oloyede offered prayers for the governor's continued empowerment.
Governor Zulum explained his motivation for the investment, noting that with JAMB's shift towards digital operations, Borno must align with technological advancements in the education sector.
"I promised that in each of the senatorial zones of the state, we shall establish a CBT Centre. The zonal office will cost N667 million, while the CBT Centre will cost N330 million. The job will be completed very soon, and the government shall make all the payments," Governor Zulum stated.
The zonal office will serve candidates from Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States, with Professor Oloyede disclosing that the completed facilities will include a Professional Registration Centre, where students can register before proceeding to the examination halls.
Governor Zulum has allocated land for the project and instructed the Borno State Geographic Information Service to issue a Certificate of Occupancy. The governor's promise to establish CBT centres in each of Borno's three senatorial zones signals his administration's broader strategy to decentralise examination infrastructure and improve educational opportunities statewide.
