The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reiterated that no candidate is prohibited from wearing the hijab during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB stated this in a press release by its spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, following an incident recorded at the Esther Oshikoya CBT Centre in Ibadan yesterday.
The board said its attention was drawn to the matter through its monitoring mechanisms during the screening exercise for the first session of the examination day yesterday.
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According to JAMB, it immediately intervened by calling the ad-hoc official involved to order and issuing firm instructions that no candidate wearing a hijab should be asked to remove or alter it.
The board clarified that the incident was neither an official directive nor a policy of the centre, but rather the action of an overzealous ad-hoc staff member who failed to adhere to established screening guidelines on candidates’ religious attire.
“JAMB categorically affirms that such actions are not in line with its screening procedures. The Board respects the religious beliefs and customs of all Nigerians and has addressed the situation promptly and appropriately.
“We assure all candidates, regardless of faith, that their rights to religious expression, including dressing, remain a cornerstone of our policy,” it stated.
The examination body assured candidates that their rights to religious expression, including dress, remain a core part of its policy framework.
It further disclosed that all ad hoc staff have been briefed and reminded of the approved screening procedures across all centres to prevent a recurrence.
“JAMB categorically affirms that such actions are not in line with its screening procedures. The Board respects the religious beliefs and customs of all Nigerians and has addressed the situation promptly and appropriately,” the statement read.
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