JAMB to Ensure Returnee Students From War-torn Sudan Are Integrated Into Nation’s Varsities

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) made it known yesterday that it will provide the necessary support to ensure that Nigerian students evacuated from war-torn Sudan are integrated into the nation’s universities in a meeting with the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

This was disclosed by the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, in Abuja, who empathized with the students, commended NIDCOM for the effective handling of their evacuation, adding that JAMB would ensure the desired support.

“What we will do is that we will provide the necessary infrastructure, the necessary enablement to make you accommodate or return these candidates (students) to our educational system,” Oloyede said.

The JAMB boss, however, called on the students not to tread the path of those who returned to the country over a year ago as a result of Ukraine’s war but refused to comply with the stipulated procedures that would have ensured they continue their academic programmes seamlessly in Nigerian universities.

“There are procedures (for transfer of students); the transcript, the rules and regulations, and nobody should be under any illusion to believe that Nigerian university will award a certificate with less than two years stay and residency in the university, and the procedure is done legitimately and properly with the cooperation of the National Universities Commission and the individual institution.

Explaining further on the issue of spending a minimum of two academic sessions for students who transferred to any Nigerian university, Oloyede said: “If you are doing a five-year programme, you will go to year four because you are going to spend year 4 and year 5.

On her part, NIDCOM chairman, Dabiri-Erewa, said 1,730 Nigerians have been evacuated from Sudan as of Tuesday, adding that the majority of them are students eager to continue their education in Nigeria while waiting for the war to be over.

The NIDCOM boss assured that the necessary procedures will be followed to integrate the affected students into Nigerian schools.