Low UTME Cut-off Mark For Admission Into Universities Is Making Northern Youths Lazy – Governor El-Rufai

Kaduna state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has stated that the low cut-off marks needed to secure admission into northern universities via the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is making youths in the North “lazy”.

The Kaduna state Governor who said this during the plenary session on “Rethinking Sub-National Competitiveness” at the ongoing Nigerian Economic Summit, stated that even though many think JAMB is building the nation with different cut-off mark for different states, they are however dividing it.

El-Rufai also rhetorically asked if the North has caught up with people from other regions even though JAMB is giving them lower cut-off marks.

He said;

“The northerners are at advantage. The low JAMB cut-off mark is making northern youth lazy rather than encouraging them. Despite the advantage of the education in Nigeria, we have the highest number of children out of school.

“For example, Joint Admissions Matriculation Board, (JAMB), gives different cut-off mark for different states and you say you are building a nation, no you are dividing it.

“I am from the north but we have suffered educational disadvantage and the JAMB has given us lower cut-off mark to catch up, have we caught up?

“It is making people lazy.”