Zulum Makes History, Donates ₦1bn JAMB Zonal HQ and 500-Seat CBT Centre to Boost North-East Education

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, deepened his administration's investment in education by handing over a multi-million naira JAMB zonal headquarters and one of Nigeria's largest Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, a landmark project expected to transform tertiary admission services across the North-East.

The ultra-modern facility, strategically located along the Maiduguri-Dikwa Road, will serve as JAMB's North-East Zonal Office, providing administrative and examination services to the region's six states.

The ultra-modern facility, situated on a 5,300-square-metre expanse of land, is fully fenced and landscaped and is powered by a newly installed 300kVA transformer. The main office complex comprises eight offices, three conference rooms, four registration areas, and 16 convenience facilities.

The centre also features two Computer-Based Test (CBT) halls, each equipped with 275 computers, enabling the facility to accommodate 500 candidates per examination session and up to 2,000 candidates daily during examinations.

The significance of the project was underscored by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who described it as an unprecedented intervention and one of the finest CBT facilities in Nigeria. "This is the first time in the history of JAMB that a state governor has independently built and donated a zonal office and CBT centre to the Board," Oloyede said.

He noted that what was initially conceived as an ambitious proposal had become a reality within just four months, describing the achievement as a reflection of Governor Zulum's visionary leadership and commitment to education. "Today, reality has surpassed my expectations. In just four months, what seemed humanly impossible has been accomplished," he said.

The outgoing Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, accompanied by his successor, Prof. Segun Aina, commissioned the Is-haq Oloyede JAMB Mega Professional Registration Centre (PRC), donated by the Borno State Government.

The foundation of the project was laid by Governor Zulum on February 24, 2026. The project was completed in less than six months, ahead of the completion timeline earlier set by the governor.

Oloyede explained that the centre would significantly expand JAMB's operational capacity in the North-East by allowing 500 candidates to write examinations simultaneously while handling over 2,000 candidates each day. He added that the integrated registration facilities would enable the Board to complete registration and documentation for applicants from Borno State within a few days, drastically reducing delays and travel burdens.

In recognition of his contributions to educational development, Governor Zulum instructed the Borno State Ministry of Education to name the facility after Professor Ishaq Oloyede. The gesture was widely interpreted as a mark of deep appreciation for Oloyede's decades of service to Nigeria's examination system and his unwavering support for the North-East region.

Commissioning the facility, Zulum described it as part of his administration's broader strategy to rebuild education in a region that has suffered years of insurgency and disruption to learning. He said the project was designed not only to improve access to JAMB services but also to strengthen educational infrastructure and reduce the burden on candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions. According to the Governor, the facility represents Borno State's contribution to enhancing national education service delivery while positioning the North-East as a major hub for computer-based examinations.

The commissioning of the JAMB facility represents just one aspect of Governor Zulum's extraordinary investment in rebuilding the educational landscape of Borno State, which bore the brunt of over a decade of devastating Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency that destroyed thousands of school buildings, displaced over two million people, and forced hundreds of thousands of children out of classrooms.

The JAMB Registrar described the project as a testament to Zulum's commitment to educational advancement, youth empowerment and human capital development. He said the facility would improve access to examination and administrative services while expanding educational opportunities for young people across the North-East.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Prof. Oloyede expressed profound appreciation to Governor Zulum for what he described as a monumental investment in education. He noted that the facility would significantly ease the challenges faced by candidates across the North-East geopolitical zone seeking admission into tertiary institutions. He commended the governor's unwavering commitment to educational development, describing his support for JAMB and the education sector as exceptional.

The donation of the JAMB zonal headquarters and CBT centre is expected to have far-reaching consequences for educational access across all six North-East states ,Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, and Taraba. Previously, students from across the region often had to travel significant distances to access JAMB registration and examination services, incurring transportation costs and logistical challenges that placed a disproportionate burden on families already struggling with poverty and displacement.

With a facility capable of processing over 2,000 candidates daily now available in the heart of Maiduguri, those barriers are set to be significantly reduced, potentially increasing the number of young people from the North-East who successfully complete the tertiary admission process and go on to access higher education.

Education stakeholders across the region have praised the governor's initiative, describing it as one of the most impactful education investments made in the North-East in recent memory and calling on other state governments to emulate the example set by Borno.