Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun on Saturday laid the foundation stone of a 500-seater Computer Based Test (CBT) centre in Abeokuta, the Ogun capital.
The centre is located at a site, originally meant to house the Gateway Holdings headquarters, but the project could not take off due to financial constraints.
Another 5,000 mega CBT centre, also to be constructed in Abeokuta would serve the South-West.
Amosun who spoke after the foundation laying, assured that the centre would be monitored to completion, adding that contractors had been duly mobilised.
“This place was originally for Gateway Holdings and they, in their wisdom, took loan of about N1.5billion, which had accumulated to N4billion now.
“In order that the land can be used judiciously, we decided to give it to JAMB and this is expected to be completed within one year or less,”Amosun said.
He urged his South-West counterparts to support the project, as it would be to the benefit of all.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is the sole sponsor of the 500-seater centre for JAMB, expected to be completed within a year.
The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who also spoke, noted that the 5,000- seater mega centre , when completed, would reduce the pressure on the South-West.
He also said that the problem of extortion from private CBT centres would be a thing of the past.
“If we have this in Ogun and a similar one in Lagos, I believe the problem is solved in South-West , where over 35 per cent of the applicants come from.
“The Federal Government is also doing similar thing across the country. We have laid the foundation of Oshogbo, we are laying that of Bauchi next week and same for Owerri and Benin.
“What makes this one (Ogun) unique is that it’s also going to house the mega CBT centre that will serve the whole of South-West,” he added. (NAN)