The Kwara State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all unapproved Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) coaching centres operating within the state.
The directive was issued by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mary Arinde, during a meeting with approved IJMB study centres in Ilorin on Thursday. She expressed concern over the increasing number of unregistered centres, warning that such institutions undermine the quality of education in the state.
In a statement released on Friday by the Ministry’s Press Secretary, Falade Gbenga, Arinde reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining high academic standards. She emphasized that only nine institutions are authorized to run the IJMB programme in Kwara, ensuring students receive education in conducive learning environments. The approved institutions include:
• Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete
• Kwara State College of Education, Oro
• Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin
• Federal Polytechnic, Offa
• Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin
• De-wise College of Basic and Remedial Studies
• Thomas Adewumi University, Oko
• Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin
• Ojaja University, Ilorin
Arinde stressed that all unauthorized centres must shut down immediately to uphold the integrity of the IJMB programme.
Also speaking on the directive, the Director of Continued Education in the Ministry, Babatunde Afolayan, assured the public of strict enforcement to sanitize the system.
Reacting to the government’s decision, Prof. Stephen Afolabi, head of the IJMB programme at KWASU, applauded the move, stating that illegal centres often operate in substandard conditions and must be eliminated. Other approved institutions also expressed their support and pledged full compliance with regulatory guidelines.
