2021 UTME: Further extension of the registration period not feasible-JAMB  

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The response was, perhaps, because of increasing call for JAMB to further extend the registration period due to “frustration” being faced by candidates in the process of acquiring National Identification Number (NIN) which is compulsory for 2021 UTME registration.

JAMB maintained that it’s desirous of availing every prospective candidate the opportunity to participate in the 2021 UTME registration exercise but it’s faced with time constraints because of the window available to it on the annual national examinations timetable.

JAMB spokesman, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in a statement released in Abuja, on Monday, confirmed that the Board has taken some decisions/steps to ensure that candidates with genuine excuses as regards NIN get the opportunity to register and participate in the 2021 UTME.

He said the Board witnessed significant rise in the number of PIN purchased shortly after the announcement of the two weeks extension of registration.

He said: “At the new closing day, 29th May 2021; 1,383, 420 candidates procured the PIN for registration, while 1,375,694 have successfully completed their registration.

“Despite this, there are still complaints of inability of candidates to register due to lateness or non-delivery of NIN verification code, inability to obtain NIN, mismatch or wrong names originally submitted to NIMC, etc.

“While very few of such excuses have been found to be genuine, a large number is traceable to fraudsters who are hell bent in subverting the system and bypassing the well thought out decision of the Federal Government to make NIN a requirement for JAMB registration.”

JAMB advised candidates with genuine proof(s) of failed efforts to register before the deadline to visit any of JAMB offices including JAMB owned Professional Test Centres (PTCs) between Monday 31st May and 15th June, 2021, to obtain at no cost and complete a form with genuine reasons for missing the registration.

In doing that, JAMB said the candidates would submit a certified bank draft of N4,000 in its favour for the reading test and the application, and obtain a signed duplicate copy from the office.

It added that the candidate will submit the completed form with a recent passport photograph at the same office of collection, collect a copy of the reading test, and await further directives through the registered phone number or public service announcement.

JAMB, however, advised parents to allow candidates to personally go through the registration process, as it has been discovered that some parents and school proprietors have been found to mislead candidates for illicit gains and personal aggrandisement, reiterating its zero tolerance for involvement of any third party or group in the UTME registration process.