Nollywood actress and filmmaker Mary Njoku has narrated how she failed the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) multiple times.
The actress, while advocating for the national examination board to be scrapped, disclosed that her acting career saved her from JAMB.
This follows the recent massive failure of students who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) caused by a glitch on the side of JAMB.
Reacting, Njoku wondered if SSCE is not enough for higher institutions to admit students.
She said, “Why is it necessary to take the JAMB exams to gain admission into universities? Isn’t the SSCE sufficient? I don’t understand the need for JAMB + post-JAMB when the SSCE already shows we’ve completed Secondary School.”
Furthermore, the filmmaker said, “Speaking from experience, JAMB almost ‘jammed’ my life. Literally. After sitting for it multiple times without admission, I thank God for NOLLYWOOD. That detour gave me purpose, but honestly, if you ask me (I know nobody is asking), I truly believe JAMB should be scrapped.
“Why should students who already passed the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) be forced to jump through yet another hoop? If universities want to be selective, they can ask for more credits, like A’s and B’s in key subjects. That’s fair. But JAMB? It discourages thousands of bright, capable young people every single year.”
