UTME DEEPENS  NIGERIA AND THE GAMBIA’S BILATERAL RELATIONS

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  The Ag. High Commissioner of Nigeria to the Republic of The Gambia Ms. Temidayo Balogun, has commended JAMB for deepening Nigeria’s bilateral relations with Gambia through the conduct of its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination(UTME).

This was emphasised in an exclusive interview with JAMBULLETIN after the recently-concluded 2024 UTME in foreign centres.   In her submissions, the Ag. High Commissioner touched on the challenges faced in piloting the affairs of the High Commission in The Gambia, where close to 40,000 Nigerians reside, among others.

  According to her, challenges such as trafficking and prostitution have been met with efforts from professionals equipped with resources to protect vulnerable Nigerians. She, however, admitted that beyond economic growth and trade facilitation between both countries, a major effort in fighting these challenges is education, which is central to the Board’s mandate.

  In her words, “many Nigerian students abroad interested in tertiary education in Nigeria are now benefiting from the Board’s commitment to projecting and elevating Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. We have to commend JAMB under Prof Oloyede for this initiative and for looking out for Nigerian students in the diaspora.”    

Speaking further,  the Ag. High Commissioner recalled the Registrar’s 2023 visit to The Gambia, where Prof.  Oloyede, based on an informed appreciation of the understanding of the landscape, had promised to add his voice to a proposed Memorandum of Understanding structured to allow qualified Gambians to enjoy scholarships to study in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.   

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While commenting on the Commision’s commitment to JAMB’s vision, which is hugely reflected in its anple preparations for the examination, Ms. Balogun explained the need to amplify the good work that JAMB is doing.  She also referenced the sensitization and planning drive of the Commission led by the Head of Education Protocol, Mr. Shehu Usman Ilu, and pointed out the  need to engage in more sensitization.   

According to her, “It is what Nigeria gives us that we project so what JAMB is doing is what we are projecting, just like the Technical Aid Corps Volunteers we have from Nigeria. These are Nigerians doing so well in their fields and are deployed to different countries to serve. Nigeria has been key to The Gambia’s progress and efforts like this will strengthen bilateral relationship.”

 In her evaluation of the UTME and the admission process, the Ag. High Commissioner reflected on the progress made over the years and acknowledged the transparency and the competitiveness that had been embedded in the process. She alluded to the fact that technology, through visionary leadership, has been fully utilised to bring drastic and needed changes to the examination process, which has now led to an admission process that only puts forward candidates deemed worthy of higher education placement.  

According to her, “Prof Oloyede has solidified the place of technology in JAMB. Its impact is evident and the output will encourage us (the High Commission) to amplify the good and commendable deeds of agencies in Nigeria to the Nigerian community in The Gambia and to the Gambian government for more improved partnership.”  

1. Ms. Balogun, therefore,  implored members of the public and the media to propagate the laudable efforts made by Nigerians and Nigerian agencies for the betterment of the country, for trade and economic opportunities and for stronger bilateral relationships.   “If JAMB can deploy technology, resources and personnel to foreign locations to accommodate Nigerians in the diaspora, such efforts and many others should be publicized, made to go viral as itger countries had been doing,” she said.