JAMB, NIMC set to meet as applicants face challenges over NIN

UTME 2024: JAMB and NIMC to Convene Urgent Meeting as Applicants Encounter Challenges with NIN

In the wake of the commencement of the sales of forms for the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), a significant number of prospective applicants are grappling with difficulties in linking their mobile telephone lines with their National Identification Number (NIN) or encountering inaccuracies in their NIN details. This has prompted the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to schedule a meeting with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to address the mounting concerns.

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The UTME serves as the entrance examination for candidates seeking admission into various Nigerian tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and monotechnics. Conducted annually by JAMB, the examination board has mandated applicants to use their NIN for the application process, as part of measures to curb malpractices like impersonation.

Since the commencement of the sales of forms on January 15, many applicants and their parents or guardians have expressed frustration with the challenges encountered in generating electronic pins for registration. Abiodun Omole, a guardian, shared the disappointment of his nephew’s inability to generate the required profile code, despite following the instructions repeatedly. The consistent response received was “No record found. Send email with NIN and name to [email protected]. Then try again in 4 hours.”

Musefiu Alabi highlighted discrepancies in the information provided by NIMC for his daughter, with variations in the local government area and date of birth. He expressed concern over the financial and time costs associated with rectifying such discrepancies.

Investigations by PREMIUM TIMES revealed numerous challenges with NIN, requiring data updates or corrections. Many applicants proceeded with their JAMB registration due to financial constraints, as parents and guardians cited the high costs associated with NIMC’s correction services.

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Acknowledging the mounting concerns, JAMB’s Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, assured swift intervention. He expressed surprise at the volume of complaints and revealed that a meeting had been scheduled between the leaderships of JAMB and NIMC to address the issues.

“Both JAMB and NIMC will meet on Monday (today) to address the concerns, and I can assure you that these issues will be addressed,” stated Mr. Benjamin. He advised applicants to suspend their UTME registration if they observed incorrect details in their NIN records until NIMC updated and corrected the information.

Efforts to obtain a response from NIMC were unsuccessful as calls to the Head of its Public Communications Unit, Kayode Adegoke, went unanswered.

As the meeting between JAMB and NIMC takes place, applicants and stakeholders eagerly await a resolution to the challenges hindering a smooth UTME registration process.