Labour Party leader Peter Obi has raised serious concerns about the plight of Nigerian students following his visit to a crowded Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) office in Amawbia, Anambra State, on August 7, 2025, as detailed in his X post today.
He attached an accompanying image which displayed a large gathering of students outside the JAMB office, some perched precariously on fences under a cloudy sky, highlighting the desperation and logistical challenges they face.
Obi noted that the students were there to change their course or institution choices, a service typically handled by JAMB-designated Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, but many centres,17 of 28 in Anambra, have been blacklisted, leaving students with few alternatives and forcing them to travel long distances, often unsuccessfully, up to five times.
In his post, Obi revealed that the cost of this service has surged from N1,500 at accredited centres to N15,000 at the JAMB office, exacerbated by unofficial fees, placing immense financial and emotional strain on families already grappling with Nigeria’s economic hardships, insecurity, and unemployment.
He criticized JAMB’s opaque decision-making, particularly the vague “under investigation” reason for blacklisting centres, and urged the agency to adopt a more compassionate approach, such as allowing monitored services during probes.
