Former presidential candidate Peter Obi stated that while passing through Amawbia, in Anambra State, recently, he noticed a large crowd of students gathered outside the JAMB office, "some even perched precariously on the fence."

He said the scene was striking and may likely be the same in some other states across the country, describing it as troubling.

In a conversation with a few students, they explained to him that they were there to make changes to their course or institution choices.

Obi said, "I found this surprising, as such services are ordinarily processed at JAMB-designated CBT centres. When I inquired why they weren’t using those centres, their response was disheartening: most of the CBT centres had stopped offering the service, leaving them with few or no alternatives.

"Further investigation revealed that out of 28 JAMB-approved centres ( CBTs)in Anambra State, 17 have been blacklisted. Sadly, many of the affected centres were not even informed of the specific reasons behind this action. The explanation given was the vague phrase: “under investigation.”

"The consequences of this are far-reaching. Students are now forced to travel long distances - sometimes from remote parts of the state - just to access basic services at the JAMB state office. From my interaction with the students, I learnt that many have made up to five unsuccessful trips before being attended to. What is more troubling is the sharp increase in the cost of processing these changes: a service that should ordinarily cost around ₦1,500 at accredited centres now costs up to ₦15,000 at the JAMB office - often padded by unofficial fees.

"These young Nigerians—already grappling with immense pressure—now face even greater financial, physical, and emotional strain. The challenges they confront have prevented many from transferring to their preferred institutions, placing their academic futures at serious risk. To make matters worse, several universities have already begun their post-UTME screening, leaving these students further disadvantaged and uncertain about their prospects.

"This is happening at a time when the country is grappling with severe economic hardship, rising insecurity, and high youth unemployment. That students and their parents must suffer so needlessly is both unjust and avoidable.

"While JAMB may have valid reasons for blacklisting some centres, one must ask: could a more humane and transparent approach not have been adopted? Is it not possible to allow these centres to continue offering essential services under close monitoring, pending the outcome of investigations?

"Education remains the hope of our nation. We must not allow bureaucratic bottlenecks and opacity to derail the dreams of our young people. I appeal to JAMB to reconsider its position and embrace a more compassionate and efficient response that makes the welfare of the students a priority. -PO"

ASA