By Folaranmi Ajayi and Abdulafeez Olaitan
Candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are experiencing various levels of challenges completing the registration as a result of the Joint Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) reluctance to go full hug with automating the process.
The registration timeline spans January 14th to February 14th, 2023, a month period expired today. It starts with dilling *55019*1*NIN# or *66019*1*NIN# on a mobile phone to receive a JAMB profile code.
This enables the candidate to buy the JAMB ePin using the profile code. The next step requires going to a JAMB Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre where the candidates fill out a biodata form and complete the registration.
Some of the problems associated with candidates going to the CBT centres has been the limited number of these centres which results in overcrowding. Candidates who spoke with Edugist pleaded that relevant authorities of the board examine its policies, consider an extension of the date and make the registration process easier for students.
As of Saturday, February 11, 2023 the registrar of JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, said that 1.16 million candidates had registered for the 2023 UTME.
This is 35 per cent shy of 2023’s target of registering 1.80m candidates for JAMB. But in 2021, 1.35m candidates sat for the UTME.
However, in 2022, a total of 1.83m candidates were registered for the 2022 UTME and Direct Entry (DE).
In a visit to different centres around Yaba, Ebute Metta and Onike, Edugist’s correspondents spoke with students, teachers and parents across the registration centres.
Speaking on the issue Precious, a registrant, explained her experience as one that has been filled with so many unnecessary problems. Students arrive at the centres as early as 3:00am to pick up numbers and will not leave till around 7:00 pm.
“I was here last Saturday and I couldn’t do anything despite coming very early. The exercise was hectic and I was surprised by the number of students present, just frustrated by the activities.”
Adekola while still battling to register told Edugist that JAMB officials at the Federal College of Education (technical) Akoka, Yaba, Lagos play politics with the registration process as they bring students in and allow them to register without queuing up.
“I came here around 6:00am. I got number 89 and you won’t believe I am still here walking up and down because you will just see that some students who are not on the list are being called to come in and register, very unfair. I think the officials are playing politics with us.”
Reacting to the process of registration, a teacher who came in the company of students for registration expressed worry as the time given by the body is short and the number of students keeps increasing, daily.
The teacher who felt the registration process can be decentralised mentioned that students generate a profile code, and Jamb PIN online and hence should be allowed to complete the registration online without having to come down to jamb centres.
“I know students have done 50% of registration by themselves by getting profile code, PIN and other things online, why not allow them to register online, maybe at an accredited cafe why all these long queues will be avoided.”
He advised that the examination board ease student’s stress by decentralising the registration process or creating more centres in each local educational district to help improve the process.
In a conversation with the lead educational consultant of TKC International tutorial, he lampooned the process, stating that at his environ, Ilupeju, Lagos, students suffer as they were only given four weeks to register.
Fatoba explained that students have limited time to register and the process is cumbersome unlike before when the national identification number (NIN) was not a serious criterion.
“I have been to different centres today and all that I have seen is a process very cumbersome and full of stress for these students. Imagine some of them spending 12 hours at the centre and still nothing to show for it, you need to see what the experience looks like.”
