The registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has disclosed that that was the possibility of shifting the date for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Prof. Oloyede made the disclosure during a virtual meeting with 2021 UTME Committee members on Friday, saying over 600,000 candidates who indicated interest in sitting for the exams, are yet to register.
The exam is scheduled to be held between June 5 and June 19.
He said the candidates were finding it difficult to register due to the challenges of National Identification Number (NIN).
He said so far, 1.1 million candidates had registered for the 2021 UTME, adding that the board anticipated approximately 1.9 million registrations at the end of the exercise.
According to him, after meeting with stakeholders, we will decide on whether to shift the exam or not.
“The possibility of shifting the exam forward is still high, but that will be determined after our meeting with stakeholders. This is because about 600,000 candidates who have indicated interest in the exam are yet to register. There is a need to give everyone the opportunity,” he said.
Oloyede apologised for the new initiatives introduced in the 2021 UTME, saying it was not to punish candidates, but to expose candidates in the habit of indulging in various forms of malpractices.
He called on candidates to take note of the process, adding that the essence was “We apologise for putting you through some hardship in the registration. The government directed that anyone participating in JAMB must have their NIN. This is beyond our control. Those who are yet to register should do so. The mock exam is billed to come up on May 20. It is an optional exam meant to test the system. As you all know, the main exam is coming up between June 5 and June 19.
“Shifting the exam date is not the solution, at the meeting we will discuss how some of the problems encountered by candidates will be resolved. It is important that we carry everyone along.” (NAN)
