By Agbor Ndoma Agbor
In the ongoing conversation surrounding Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), one narrative that continues to stir emotions is the perceived marginalization of the Igbo people in university admissions. This isn’t a call for tribal favoritism—it’s a call for equity in a system that should be merit-based and inclusive.
JAMB was created to ensure a standardized process for admissions into Nigerian tertiary institutions. However, over the years, disparities have emerged that disproportionately affect the Southeast region. Lower cut-off marks for some states—mostly in the North—are justified by “educational disadvantage.” While this might have made sense decades ago, it raises important questions in today's more disconnected Nigeria along ethnic and religious lines. No thanks to the political elites.
Why should an Igbo student who scores 250 in the UTME struggle for a slot in a federal university, while a student from a "disadvantaged" state with a 150 score gets admission into the same institution for the same course?
The issue here isn’t about ethnicity; it’s about fairness and a level playing field. The Igbos are known for their drive for education, enterprise, and advancement. The glue that holds this nation together. The tripod leg that tense to balance the Nigeria pot on the fire of diversity. If a region continues to produce high-performing candidates despite limited federal support, shouldn’t that be encouraged rather than penalized?
The "Igbo Agenda" in JAMB, am skeptical to believe is not a political movement—it is a social outcry for meritocracy. It is a plea for a system that doesn’t punish excellence in the name of balance. While inclusivity is critical, it should not override competence or slaughtered on the altar of quota system.
Moreover, we must address the systemic issues that keep some regions "educationally disadvantaged." Why aren’t we investing more in primary and secondary education across all regions so that every Nigerian child, regardless of geography, can compete fairly?
Nigeria's greatness lies in its diversity. But true unity must come from justice, not tokenism. The Igbo youth, like every Nigerian youth, deserves to compete in a system that values merit and hard work. Let us not create new inequalities in the name of solving old ones.
As professionals, educators, politicians and leaders, we must advocate for policies that reflect today’s realities. JAMB must evolve—cut-off marks should be standardized or at least reviewed with equity in mind. Admissions should prioritize performance while providing support systems that uplift truly disadvantaged communities—not entrench mediocrity.
It is time to have honest conversations about how to move Nigeria forward—together. That begins with creating an educational system where every child, from Kano to Owerri, from Yola to Enugu, has the same opportunity to succeed based on ability, not originality of state.
Let us shift the conversation from tribal quotas to national excellence, from marginalization to inclusiveness, from widening the cracks of division to closing the wounds of separation as constantly demonstrated by the Onyemas of Airpeace. That is the real Nigerian agenda. That is the path to lasting peace, unity and progress.
Agbor Ndoma Agbor is the Executive Director, CSAD and a Regenerative Sustainability Specialist with a strong passion for good governance in Nigeria. He can be reached via csad.agric10@gmail.com
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