Chidimma UCHEGBU, Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reopened the registration for the 2023 direct entry registration starting March 20 2023 to close on April 28, 2023.
Making this announcement on Monday, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede disclosed that the Board had to suspend the registration which had earlier commenced on February 20, 2023, following the discovery of devices and machinations to circumvent and compromise the standard of A ‘level qualifications required from DE candidates.
“Recall that recent joint operations of the Federal Ministry of Education and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on DE qualifications brought to light some of these unsavoury and nefarious activities. Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has also consistently brought to the fore the high rate of forgery of A’Level qualifications for DE.
“For instance, it was discovered that, in previous years, some candidates used unacceptable and forged A’ level certificates/qualifications to register for Direct Entry and eventually got admitted. For example, out of 148 candidates verified by BUK, only six were found to be genuine. By implication 142 of the results were forged,” he said.
Oloyede noted that JAMB and other concerned stakeholders and institutions are working assiduously to detect candidates who have engaged in such activities adding that the ones already found, are being dealt with according to the provisions of the law.
The Registrar also stated that the 2023 DE registration will only be restricted to JAMB PTCs and will also be done under strict supervision.
While speaking on the guidelines for the registration, Oloyede explained that all candidates must fill in the registration/ matriculation number of the previous school attended, subjects of qualifications, awarding institution and institution attended.
He added that JAMB will only recognize and accept 13 qualifications/certificates for the direct entry exercise.
For the First Degree, University Diploma, Higher National Diploma(HND), Ordinary National Diploma/National Diploma(OND/ND) and Nigeria Certificate in Education(NCE) holders, Oloyede stated that the candidates must upload a copy of their certificate and letter of admissions offered by JAMB for the certificate obtained.
He noted that a statement of result can only be accepted for qualifications obtained after 2018 adding that ‘awaiting results’ is not acceptable.
Also for Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) A’ Level, Joint Universities Examination Board (JUPEB) A’ Level, NABTEB Advanced National Business Certificate (ANBC) NABTEB Advanced National Technical Certificate (ANTC), Higher Islamic Studies Certificate by NBAIS, International Baccalaureate and National Registered Nurse/National Registered Midwife(NRN/NRM), candidates are expected to upload their certificates and letter of admissions from the bodies conducting the examinations.
He added that only candidates who obtained their NABTEB GCE A’ Level from 2015 to 2021 would be accepted for Direct Entry admission.
The registrar stated that the 127 candidates who had already registered for the examination before the exercise was suspended, would be requested to return to the registration centres and update their application, so as to comply with the new registration processes.
The JAMB Boss also disclosed that an A ‘level bank was instituted under the chairmanship of the former Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Prof Muhammad Yahuza Bello following the challenges associated with the A ‘level qualifications and added that the Data Bank has now been renamed; Nigeria Post-secondary Education Data System(NIPEDS).
“The conversion to NIPEDS is to streamline the functions of the A ‘level bank in line with international standards thereby bringing total sanity to the entire process of A ‘level qualifications that have been fraudulently manipulated by some candidates to gain undue advantage in securing admission into Year Two of the University Degree programmes,” he said.
While speaking on the 2023 UTME will commence on April 29, 2023, Oloyede reinstated that no examination would be allowed to take place after one hour of its scheduled start time.
“Any session that, for whatever reason(s), could not take off within one hour of its schedule is automatically rescheduled. When such occurs, affected candidates are expected to file out of the examination hall into the waiting hall and await the new scheduled time and place which most likely would be the same or the following day.
“In addressing possible reschedule, an extra session has been created for every centre on every examination day,” he said.
Oloyede, while appealing to parents to keep off the examination venues, added that JAMB will not hesitate to sanction the candidates whose parents obstruct the smooth running of the centre.
