LAGOS (Sundiata Post) – Nollywood actress and filmmaker Mary Njoku has questioned the continued relevance of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams in Nigeria’s higher education system.
In a recent Instagram post, the mother of three shared her personal struggles with the exam, revealing that repeated failures to pass it almost derailed her academic ambitions before she found her breakthrough in Nollywood.
“Why is it necessary to take the JAMB exams to gain admission into universities? Isn’t the SSCE sufficient?” she asked, referencing the Senior School Certificate Examination as a valid measure of academic readiness.
Mary expressed her confusion about why students are required to sit for both JAMB and post-UTME tests when the SSCE already proves they’ve completed secondary school.
“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,” she wrote.
The actress argued that a better alternative would be for universities to demand higher grades from applicants rather than subjecting them to additional entrance exams.
“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,” she added.
She ended her post with a modest disclaimer: “My thoughts.”
