ABUJA — New figures from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have deepened concerns about the state of education in parts of northern Nigeria. According to an analysis by Premium Times of data presented at JAMB's 2026 policy meeting, Benue State recorded 104,409 applications for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). By contrast, Kebbi had 18,812, Sokoto 18,786 and Zamfara 16,744, a combined total of 54,342. The three north-western states have a combined population of about 18.2 million, nearly three times Benue's estimated 6.26 million, based on National Population Commission projections for 2023. This means Benue produced about 16.7 applications for every 1,000 residents, compared with about three per 1,000 in the three north-western states. The pattern is not new. In 2024, Benue recorded 87,124 applications against Kano's 76,584, even though Kano's population is about two and a half times larger. The debate was sparked by a post on X by Prof. Aminu Nass of Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil. UNICEF figures put the out-of-school rate at senior secondary level at 48 per cent in the North-West and 28 per cent in the North-Central.