Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is about to rescue 1000’s of Nigerian graduates who’ve been unable to take part within the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme for years due to discrepancies between their Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) information and National Identification Number (NIN).
Speaking yesterday whereas receiving a delegation from Veritas University, Abuja, led by its Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Professor Hyacinth Ichoku, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, mentioned the examination physique was set to introduce a service to align the biodata of the affected candidates.
Aina mentioned the initiative was a part of measures by the examination physique to take away administrative bottlenecks that had left graduates stranded regardless of finishing their college schooling.
According to him, the brand new NIN alignment service would allow eligible candidates to replace their biodata to match their official identification information, doubtlessly clearing a serious impediment stopping affected graduates from continuing to NYSC.
He mentioned the board had recognized instances of graduates who accomplished their research 4 or 5 years in the past however remained unable to take part within the nationwide service scheme as a result of their private particulars in JAMB’s information didn’t match these registered with the National Identity Management Commission.
The registrar estimated that 1000’s of candidates might be affected, describing the initiative as a part of his administration’s dedication to decreasing the difficulties college students and graduates encounter whereas coping with the board.
“I am pleased to announce that today we will be formally launching an NIN alignment service that will allow candidates to change their biodata to match their official identity and that will unlock the possibility of NYSC for thousands of people,” he mentioned.
Aina, who described his mission at JAMB as one among constructing belief and decreasing trauma, mentioned the board was leveraging know-how to resolve issues that had beforehand prevented candidates from accessing its providers.
He added that candidates who had misplaced entry to their registered e mail addresses or phone numbers might now make modifications and regularise their relationship with the board, in contrast to previously when such conditions might stop them from finishing up transactions.
The registrar additionally urged universities to cooperate with JAMB in regularising admissions, warning that candidates admitted outdoors the board’s Central Admissions Processing System remained a very tough problem.
He mentioned such candidates may need accomplished their research however might nonetheless face recognition and documentation issues as a result of their admissions weren’t processed by way of the authorized central system.
Beyond the deliberate NIN alignment service, Aina disclosed that JAMB was contemplating incorporating life abilities and critical-thinking assessments into the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to give universities a broader foundation for choosing candidates.
He mentioned the proposed reform was meant to transfer admission selections past educational efficiency alone and recognise candidates with sensible talents, sound reasoning and different competencies important for success in greater schooling.
According to him, the board had established a committee to study how the extra evaluation elements might be built-in into the UTME.
Aina argued that candidates who had already been assessed of their topic information on the ordinary-level stage may not want to be evaluated solely on the identical foundation throughout the admission course of.
He mentioned the proposed strategy would give universities higher flexibility to determine candidates whose critical-thinking and life-skills efficiency demonstrated their suitability for explicit programs, even the place their typical UTME scores fell barely under the establishments’ ordinary cut-off marks.
“We should be able to find institutions that will say our cut-off for this course is 200, but we will take 190 if you score over 80 per cent in the critical-thinking and life-skills component of the examination,” he mentioned.
The registrar famous that some candidates may not be excellent educational performers below typical evaluation strategies however might possess different talents that made them worthy of admission consideration.
He mentioned the proposed reform would promote a extra inclusive admission course of by recognising candidates’ all-round capabilities moderately than relying completely on their educational efficiency on examination day.
The initiative, he added, would require collaboration between JAMB and tertiary establishments to make sure that the proposed evaluation elements served as helpful instruments for admission selections.
Aina, nonetheless, expressed concern over candidates admitted into tertiary establishments outdoors the central admissions system, saying the board had but to discover a resolution for many who had accomplished their programmes however weren’t recognised in its information.
He described the scenario as a critical problem, noting that the implications of administrative selections within the admission course of might have an effect on the way forward for younger Nigerians.
“The responsibility entrusted to you is a big one. It is not just one person that you tell to go away and come back; it is a life that can be destroyed by the work that you do,” he mentioned.
He urged college directors to work carefully with JAMB to make sure that admissions had been correctly processed and documented, thereby stopping college students from encountering difficulties years after commencement.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Veritas University, Rev. Fr. Professor Ichoku, congratulated Aina on his appointment and pledged the establishment’s cooperation with the examination physique.
