Sen. Dandutse ( APC Katsina South), stated that this is necessary to improve easy access to all students writing important examinations like UTME.
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – The Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND have called for the establishment of more Information and Communication Technology centres for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination ( UTME) candidates to write their computer based examinations (CBT).
The lawmakers added that they will work to ensure that funds for the establishment of the centres across the 774 local government councils are included in the 2026 budget .
They made this disclosure to journalists at Aduvie International School, Jahi, Abuja, on Friday, April 25, 2025, while monitoring the ongoing UTME.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Mohammed Muntari Dandutse ( APC Katsina South), stated that this is necessary to improve easy access to all students writing important examinations like UTME.
“In making it easy for candidates seeking admissions into Universities or other tertiary Institutions through UTME , the ICT centres must be made available in all the 774 local government councils across the country .
“I am from Katsina South Senatorial District where only two out of the eleven local government councils, have ICT centres for UTME.
“Since the Examination is computer based, centres for it need to be made available across the 774 local government councils in the country and in doing this , this committee of the Senate in collaboration with our colleagues in the House of Representatives , shall facilitate budgetary provisions for it in 2026 fiscal year,” he said .
Earlier, the spokesperson of JAMB , Fabian Benjamin, explained that JAMB has 880 ICT centres across the country but not across the 774 local government councils .
He said, “JAMB presently has close to 900 ICT centres across the country and in fact precisely 880 centres which however do not cover all the 774 local government councils across the country.
“JAMB shall be happy if the committee facilitates budgetary provisions for establishment of ICT centres in local government councils across the country that are yet to have one,” he said.
He assured them of the performance of the facilities in the centres, saying they have been programmed in a way that will not adversely affect the performance of candidates in the exam.
The Committee which had Senators Jibrin Isah (Kogi East) and Diket Plang (Plateau Central) had earlier visited Government Secondary School, Zone 3, Wuse.