New JAMB Policy Shuts Out Only UTME Centre in Sardauna LGA
Candidates from Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State are facing steep financial burdens ahead of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) following a new policy by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that has resulted in the delisting of the area's only Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre.
The affected centre, located at Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Gembu, was the sole UTME registration and examination facility serving thousands of candidates across the MambillaPlateau.
Under JAMB's 2026 guidelines, examination towns with fewer than three accredited CBT centres are no longer approved for UTME registration and examinations. The policy has effectively excluded Sardauna LGA, compelling candidates to travel to neighbouring local governments such as Jalingo, Zing and Bali for both registration and the examination.
Education stakeholders in the area estimate that candidates will spend between ₦130,000 and ₦220,000 to complete registration and sit for the UTME. In 2025, more than 1,500 candidates wrote the UTME in Sardauna LGA when the CBT centrewas still operational.
A breakdown of expenses shows that candidates from communities such as Ndum–Yaji and Bang spend close to ₦100,000 on transportation, accommodation, feeding, registration and mock examination fees. Candidates from Kan Iyakareportedly spend over ₦108,000, while even those residing in Gembu, the local government headquarters, incur costs exceeding ₦60,000 for registration alone.
Candidates from Bang and Kan-Iyaka communities told this newspaper that transport alone will costs between ₦35,000 and ₦50,000 per trip due to the distance and poor road conditions, while accommodation in Jalingo or Zing may add further expenses.
Even candidates living in Gembu, the local government headquarters, will spend more than ₦60,000 just to complete registration, excluding the cost of returning for the examination itself.
The costs are expected to double, as candidates will need to return to their assigned centres for the main UTME, with many likely posted to centres in Jalingo or Zing.
A school principal in Gembu described the situation as a major setback to the state's free education policy.
"Education may be free, but access has now become expensive. This policy contradicts the goal of equal opportunity," he said.
Parents and guardians have expressed concern that the development places an enormous financial strain on families already grappling with economic hardship, warning that many qualified candidates may be forced to abandon their dreams of higher education.
"This policy has turned access to university education into a luxury for rural students," a community leader said. "Many parents simply cannot afford to send their children that far for registration and exams."
Stakeholders, led by JD Yaji, described the policy as urban-biased, arguing that it fails to consider rural realities such as distance, poverty and poor infrastructure.
"Sardauna is not a small community. It is a constitutionally recognised local government. Removing its only CBT centre is unfair and discriminatory," Yaji said.
They warned that the policy could widen educational inequality, shutting out brilliant but poor students from tertiary education.
Another Stakeholders, Hebrews Wubon described the situation as discriminatory, arguing that candidates from Sardauna LGA are now at a clear disadvantage compared to their counterparts in urban areas with multiple CBT centres, despite Taraba State's policy of free education.
They have appealed to the Taraba State Government, education stakeholders and JAMB authorities to urgently intervene by reviewing the policy as it affects rural communities and restoring a CBT centre in Sardauna Local Government to ease the financial burden on candidates and their families.
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