- R-L: Prof Oloyede, Engr Aziz, Mr Arabi*
Ahead of the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have forge a common synergy on the use of National Identity Number (NIM) for candidates registration with the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) serving as the bridge.
A meeting to this effect was held on Monday, September 2, 2019 with the Chief Executives of the three agencies in attendance, according to Volume 1, Number 36 of JAMBulletin, a weekly publication of the office of the JAMB Registrar, dated Monday, September 9,2019.
The newsletter was made available to The State Online by Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB Head of Media and Publicity.
The newsletter said at the end of their ongoing deliberations, a new registration regime for candidates, using NIN to register for UTME would come into full force.
It further disclosed that “Already, a technical committee has been constituted to fine-tune modalities and address problems that could militate against the successful take-off of the new registration regime.”
In his remarks, the Director –General of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Abubakar Aziz pointed out that the Commission had got the approval of the Federal Executive Council mandating all private and public agencies to forward their data to NIMC.
He said this would enable NIMC to produce the data collated for national security and development.
Professor Is-Haq Oloyede, Registrar of JAMB on his part commended the role of BSPR as a catalyst in the reform agenda of the Federal Government. He pointed out that JAMB is a directive-compliant body committed to the realization of the aims and objectives as contained in its mandate.
Prof Oloyede noted that defective registration is the foundation for examination malpractice. He expressed optimism that the planned collaboration and the use of NIM for registration in the UTME would serve as a potent weapon in reducing all registration-related fraud and other unwholesome practices perpetrated by candidates in the build-up to UTME examinations. He therefore assured that JAMB would play its part for the overall success of the partnership.
The DG of BPSR, Mr Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi also speaking at the meeting said the aim of the partnership between JAMB and NIMC was to bring the agencies in line with the National Strategic Plan on Public Service Reforms.