ABU Zaria’s Governing Council Upgrades 53-Year-Old IJMB Unit to Directorate

The Governing Council of Ahmadu Bello University has approved upgrading the institution’s 53-year-old Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) unit to a Directorate.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, who made this known at the 519th (Regular) meeting of the Senate held on Monday, 20th February 2023, said that the Council approved the proposal for the upgrade of the unit to the status of a directorate at its 201st (Regular) Meeting of 15th February 2023.

The Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) was established in 1970 under Statute 5 of the Ahmadu Bello University Law to run the Interim Joint Matriculation Board Examination (IJMB) as Advanced Level examinations for candidates who wish to seek undergraduate admissions into ABU and other universities at 200L through Direct Entry.

The programme was envisaged as a stop-gap or bridge after secondary school education to prepare candidates academically, mentally and socially for the challenges of university education.

On the justification for the upgrade, the Vice-Chancellor explained that the programme started with twelve affiliate institutions (10 from the North and two from the South-South), saying that it had expanded to 110 affiliate institutions over the years.

He said that at the moment many applications had been received and were in the process of resource verification, saying however that this required a more elaborate administrative structure for effective delivery of its mandate.

The Vice-Chancellor also stressed that the results of IJMBE were more widely recognised and accepted by several universities in the country and abroad, hence the need for a befitting designation to effectively carry out the national responsibility.

He went on to add that the IJMB Governing Board, at its 93rd meeting held on 11th December 2018, had earlier suggested and recommended the upgrade of the unit to a directorate with a befitting secretariat within Ahmadu Bello University as a result of its widespread and acceptability.

The IJMB Coordinator, Prof. Haruna Aminu, had on Monday, 16th January 2023, made a presentation before the University Management on the need to upgrade the unit to a directorate.

Public Affairs Directorate,

Office of the Vice-Chancellor,

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.