Kwara State Shuts Down Unapproved IJMB Coaching Centres

Ilorin, Nigeria – February 28, 2025 – The Kwara State Government has ordered the immediate closure of several unapproved Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) coaching centres across the state.

The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mary Arinde, raised concerns over the increasing number of unauthorized IJMB centres during a meeting with approved institutions in Ilorin on Thursday, February 27, 2025.

In a statement released on Friday, February 28, by Falade Gbenga, the Press Secretary for the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Dr. Arinde reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining educational quality and standards.

“The state government has an excellent record with the IJMB programme and will ensure it remains of high quality,” she stated.

She emphasized that only nine institutions are officially approved to run the programme, listing them as follows:

Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete
Kwara State College of Education, Oro
Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin
Federal Polytechnic, Offa
De-wise College of Basic and Remedial Studies
Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin
Thomas Adewumi University, Oko
Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin
Ojaja University, Ilorin

She further warned that all unapproved centres must shut down immediately to ensure sanitization of the state’s education sector.

ENFORCEMENT OF THE DIRECTIVE

Babatunde Afolayan, Director of Continued Education, assured that the Ministry will immediately implement the closure directive to uphold educational standards.

Meanwhile, Prof. Stephen Afolabi, head of the IJMB programme at KWASU, applauded the state government’s action, highlighting the poor learning conditions in illegal coaching centres.

“We support the government’s decision to eliminate these illegal centres. This move will enhance the quality of education in Kwara State,” Afolabi remarked.

Other approved institutions also pledged their full cooperation in ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

This latest action underscores the Kwara State Government’s commitment to maintaining excellence in the education sector.