The Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) has announced the postponement of its 2024 examinations due to ongoing nationwide protests.
The decision follows the hunger protest that began on August 1 and has reportedly led to fatalities.
Prof. Ademola Adeleke, the board’s registrar, made the announcement in a statement issued to journalists on Friday in Lagos.
He cited security concerns in various states caused by the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests as the reason for the postponement.
The exams, originally scheduled from August 5 to August 16, will now take place from August 19 to August 30.
Prof. Adeleke explained, “Given the current security situation and the impact on the movement of our supervisors who travel across state boundaries, we have had to postpone the 2024 JUPEB examinations. A revised timetable reflecting the new dates will be issued shortly.”
He also acknowledged the inconvenience to JUPEB Foundation schools in states where the protests have not caused security issues and which were prepared to proceed as initially planned, urging them to bear with the board.
The protest, which started on August 1, is expected to end on August 10.
“In view of the security situation in some states across the country and the extent to which the constraints on human and vehicular movement would affect the security of our supervisors who have to travel across state boundaries, we are compelled to announce a postponement of the 2024 JUPEB examination.
“This examination, therefore, will now take place from Aug. 19 and end on Friday, Aug. 30.
“A new examination timetable reflecting the new dates will be circulated as soon as possible.
“We plead that these JUPEB Foundation schools located in states where the protest has not created any security challenges and which are ready to conduct the examinations as initially scheduled, bear with us.
“This is to enable us to conduct the examinations simultaneously in all our partner and affiliate universities,” the JUPEB boss said.
The protest, which commenced on Thursday, Aug. 1, would end on Aug.10.