JAMB noted that hosting the UTME abroad is part of efforts to boost the global visibility of Nigerian tertiary institutions and attract more international students to study in Nigeria.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that it spent a total of N113.8million on supervising the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) across seven foreign centres.

According to financial details obtained on Monday, the foreign centres where the examinations were held include Buea in Cameroon, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, London in the United Kingdom, Johannesburg in South Africa, Lome in Togo, Cotonou in Benin Republic, and Accra in Ghana.

JAMB noted that hosting the UTME abroad is part of efforts to boost the global visibility of Nigerian tertiary institutions and attract more international students to study in Nigeria.

“The foreign UTME component has enhanced the global visibility of Nigerian tertiary institutions by encouraging international students to enrol,” the board said.

The board also disclosed that it has integrated the number of foreign students admitted by Nigerian universities as a new criterion for its National Tertiary Admissions Performance Merit Award (NATAP M-Award), which recognises institutions excelling in international student recruitment, PUNCH reports. 

In 2024, JAMB conducted the UTME in eight foreign locations including London, Jeddah, Cameroon, Accra, Cotonou, Johannesburg, Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, and Banjul in The Gambia.

“This initiative has successfully attracted international students to Nigerian universities,” JAMB noted, reaffirming its commitment to promoting Nigerian education worldwide.

The annual UTME is Nigeria’s key examination for securing admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, with millions of candidates sitting for the test each year.