It is no longer news that provisions for the purchase of forms for the 2018/19 admission process have been released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). JAMB is solely empowered by law to conduct a general entrance examination for tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Expectedly, participants in this examination are secondary school graduates who possess the requisite number of credits which include credit passes in English Language and Mathematics in their respective certificate examinations. What this implies is that candidates for the UTME are students who have been well grounded in English language. Hence, Use of English is a compulsory subject in the UTME irrespective of the course one is applying for.
Consequently, it is alarming when JAMB uses the Pidgin English medium to advertise its programmes to prospective candidates. Yes, for sometime now, JAMB has been using the popular actor, Afeez Oyetoro, a.k.a. Baba Saka to advertise sales of forms to prospective candidates specifically on NTA and Radio Nigeria amongst others in the Pidgin English.
I remember quite well that the use of pidgin English is prohibited in most Nigeria schools. So why is JAMB, a body which stands as an intermediary between the students and tertiary institutions now resort to the use of pidgin English?

Only in 9ja!

Only in 9ja you will see person selling handkerchief and he is sweating.

Only in 9ja you will see someone selling books on how to be successful yet he is eating agege bread with sachet water under hot sun.

Only in 9ja you will visit PHCN office and see them using generator.

Only in 9ja JAMB will fail her students for wrong English but pays people for wrong english.

Only in 9ja!

What an irony! I have watched the JAMB adverts many times on NTA Network News but never really gave it a second thought. JAMB should do better . . .