Over 1,500 candidates in Sardauna Local Government Area (LGA) of Taraba State are facing significant financial strain ahead of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) delisted the area’s only Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre.
The affected facility, located at Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) in Gembu, had served as the sole centre for the Mambilla Plateau, accommodating all 2025 UTME candidates in the region.
Under JAMB’s 2026 guidelines, towns with fewer than three accredited CBT centres are no longer approved for UTME registration or examinations. The delisting has forced candidates from Sardauna LGA to travel to neighbouring local governments, including Jalingo, Zing, and Bali, for both registration and the exam itself.
Education stakeholders warn that students may now spend between ₦130,000 and ₦220,000 to cover transportation, accommodation, feeding, registration, and mock exam fees. Candidates from Ndum–Yaji and Bang communities are expected to spend nearly ₦100,000, while those from Kan-Iyaka may spend over ₦108,000. Even residents of Gembu, the LGA headquarters, face registration costs exceeding ₦60,000.
Transport costs alone for candidates from Bang and Kan-Iyaka communities could range from ₦35,000 to ₦50,000 per trip due to long distances and poor road networks. Accommodation in Jalingo or Zing adds additional expense, which may double as candidates return for the main UTME.
A Gembu school principal described the development as a setback to Taraba State’s free education policy, stating, “Education may be free, but access has now become expensive. This policy contradicts the goal of equal opportunity.”
Parents, guardians, and community leaders have criticized the policy as urban-biased, arguing it disproportionately affects rural students and makes access to university education a luxury. JD Yaji, a leading stakeholder, said, “Sardauna is not a small community. It is a constitutionally recognised local government. Removing its only CBT centre is unfair and discriminatory.”
Hebrews Wubon echoed the concern, noting that candidates from Sardauna are now at a disadvantage compared to students in urban areas with multiple CBT centres, despite the state’s free education policy.
The stakeholders have appealed to the Taraba State government, education authorities, and JAMB to urgently review the policy and restore a CBT centre in Sardauna LGA to reduce the financial burden on students and their families.
