One week after the commencement of the sales of forms for the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), prospective applicants have expressed frustration over the challenges faced in their efforts to either link their mobile telephone lines with their National Identification Number (NIN) or ‘incorrect’ information contained in their NIN details.

UTME is an entrance examination for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions- universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and monotechnics. It is conducted annually by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

JAMB has mandated candidates willing to participate in the examination to use their NIN for the application process. It is part of the examination body’s measures to counter malpractices like impersonation.

But following increasing complaints by applicants, their parents, or guardians, JAMB said it already scheduled a meeting with the leadership of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)- the body in charge of NIN.

Challenges
Since the sales of forms kicked off on Monday, 15 January, many applicants and their parents and guardians have expressed dissatisfaction with the challenges posed in their efforts to generate their electronic pins for registration.

Abiodun Omole, a guardian to an applicant, said his nephew could not generate the required profile code for registration “even after following the laid down instructions, and repeating the processes many times.”

He said the message he consistently received is “No record found. Send email with NIN and name to ni***********@ni**.ng. Then try again in 4 hours.”

“I have sent the mail more than five times without any response from NIMC. This is disappointing and frustrating,” he said.

Similarly, Musefiu Alabi, said the information supplied for his daughter by NIMC is at variance with what was provided at the registration point.

“The local government area for her state of origin provided during her NIN registration is quite different from what we found at the point of registration. For my son, the date of birth is 25th but we saw 23rd. We are aware changing such requires as much as N15,000 and takes time to take effect,” Mr Alabi said.

He narrated the frustration of many other applicants at a registration centre in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, saying; “These children shouldn’t be made to face this kind of crisis because they are seeking admission into tertiary institutions. Things ought to have improved better than this mess we now face.”

Findings by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that there are numerous other challenges with NIN requiring data updates or correction but many applicants have gone ahead with their registration on the JAMB portal because their parents and guardians said they could not afford extra costs for such services.

“Is it the time for the correction or the money involved? The money required to correct data with NIMC can be used to obtain two UTME forms. Isn’t that crazy? We are not just serious in this country,” another parent who does not want to be quoted told this newspaper.

JAMB pledges intervention
JAMB has said it is aware of the challenges faced by applicants, especially in connection with their NIN verification and linkage, and pledged swift intervention.

The Head of Public Affairs and Protocol for the examination body, Fabian Benjamin, said JAMB is surprised by the volume of complaints, and that a meeting has been scheduled between the leaderships of the two organisations.

“Both JAMB and NIMC will meet on Monday (today) to address the concerns and I can assure you that these issues will be addressed,” Mr Benjamin said.

He, however, advised applicants who observe incorrect details in their NIN records to halt their UTME registration until the information is updated and corrected by NIMC.

Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of NIMC on the development were unsuccessful as calls to his official line were not answered.