Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has flagged off the construction of a Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board zonal office and Computer Based Test centre in Maiduguri, valued at over N1 billion.

The flag off ceremony took place on Monday along Maiduguri Dikwa Road, with the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, in attendance.

Governor Zulum had earlier allocated land for the project and directed the Borno State Geographic Information Service (BOGIS) to issue a Certificate of Occupancy for the property. The initiative is aimed at bridging the gap in merit and catchment area quotas in federal government tertiary institutions meant for the Borno people.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Oloyede said the zonal office will cover Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States, adding that the capacity of the computers in the CBT Centre will enable candidates who want to register for JAMB in Borno to complete their registration within two days.

The JAMB Registrar explained that the facilities, when completed, will include a Professional Registration Centre where students can register and proceed to the examination hall when they are ready to write examinations. He described the project as one of the best multicentre CBT facilities in the country and thanked the governor for his support.

"We pray God continues to guide you; you're doing your best," he said.

Prof. Oloyede stated that the centre will have 275 computers in one section and 275 computers in another section, meaning that at any given time, 500 students can write examinations simultaneously. "It also means that JAMB will be able to clear 2,000 students within two days with the facility," he added.

He expressed gratitude for the governor's efforts in education, describing it as the kind of leadership Nigeria needed. "May God continue to empower you," he said.

In his remarks, Governor Zulum said his administration decided to contribute its quota to education in the state, adding that with JAMB going digital, Borno must keep pace with the development. "I promised that in each of the senatorial zones of the state, we shall establish a CBT Centre. The zonal office will cost N667 million, while the CBT Centre will cost N330 million. The job will be completed very soon, and the government shall make all the payments," Zulum stated.