2023 UTME: JAMB REVIEWS RULES OF ENGAGEMENT WITH CBT CENTRES, SERVICE PROVIDERS, OTHERS
…Says No Payment For Any Examination Disrupted By Power Outages or Lack of CCTV Coverage
As part of measures to strengthen its operations and enhance the credibility of its examinations, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reviewed its guidelines ahead of the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In the same vein, JAMB also issued fresh advisories on the conduct of the 2023 UTME and spelt out sanctions to serve as deterrent for acts capable of undermining the integrity of its examinations.
It would be recalled that the Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, had presided over a virtual stakeholders meeting on the 2023 UTME, which was hosted from the Board’s National Headquarters on Thursday, 5th January, 2023, to kick-start the sale of application documents.
The meeting had in attendance stakeholders ranging from CBT Centre Proprietors, Telcos, Service Providers, Technical Advisors to Chief External Examiners (CEEs), among other partners.
The Registrar had pointed out that the meeting was to review what the Board had done in the previous year as well as articulate its plans for this year.
He noted that the primary target of the meeting were the CBT centres because of the critical role they play in the registration process.
He stated that it was in view of their importance that the Board had convened the meeting to solicit renewed commitment to the partnership.
He urged them to be above board by shunning acts that could undermine the integrity of the registration exercise and, by extension, the conduct of the examination.
Prof. Oloyede said, as part of the efforts to expand access and take the services of the Board to the doorsteps of the final consumers, the Board visited 830 CBT during the accreditation exercise to establish the readiness of the centres for the registration exercise.
He noted that out of these figures, 627 had passed the integrity test while over 200 were rejected because they failed to meet the Board’s specifications.
The Registrar, while congratulating those that scale through the accreditation process, said JAMB regarded CBT centres as valuable stakeholders and had consequently provided sundry logistics support to them such as the facilitation of increased bandwidth to the various centres coupled with granting them access to some services hitherto reserved for JAMB-owned centres.
The Registrar observed that to whom much is given much is expected and warned that the Board would not tolerate any forms of abuse with respect to the privileges granted adding that JAMB would not hesitate to sanction those that run foul of its rules of engagement.
On the reported cases of incessant power outages and tampering with CCTV cameras, the Registrar lamented the embarrassment caused by frequent power failure despite the alternative sources of power and measures put in place.
To this end, he enjoined the use of appropriate number of switches, which must be connected to uninterrupted power sources (UPS) adding that a percentage of the total number of switches used at a centre must be available as backup switches at the centre.
The Registrar stated that any centre that could not deliver on its mandate in line with agreed specifications risks losing payment for any examination that is disrupted on account of power failure.
He revealed that the Board has been inundated with various reports of examination malpractice such as switching off of the CCTV system to give room for the perpetration of examination malpractice.
He warned that any centre that tampered with its CCTV cameras and, as such, failed to cover any of its allotted examination sessions would have the results of such sessions cancelled in line with the policy of ” No CCTV, No Result, No Payment”.
This, according to him, is in addition to prosecuting the centre, if the Board is convinced of any recorded or noticeable infractions or malpractice while such a centre would also be delisted.
Furthermore, he stated that any centre that tampered with its CCTV system or router would pay for its reconfiguration and resetting of the router.
He said the CCTV must cover all areas of the examination vcentre including the Biometrics Verification Point, Holding Rooms, Walkway (if there is any), Examination Halls, Server Room, Entrance and Exit Doors, among others.
PROJECT C.U.R.E: KANO STATE GOVERNMENT COMMENDED JAMB AS MAWTH TAKES DELIVERY OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
The Kano State Governor, Dr. T Abdullahi Ganduje, has commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)for fast tracking the donation of medical equipment and consumables through Project C.U.R.E. to Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital(MAWTH), Kano State.
HE Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the Executive Governor of Kano State
The Governor made this commendation at the commissioning ceremony of the donated medical equipment held at the premises of MAWTH on Thursday, 5th January, 2023.
The Governor, who was represented on the occasion by the Kano State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Getso, said the Board’s gesture would go a long way in improving access to quality healthcare services by the good people of Kano State.
According to the State Governor, the current administration placed premium on provision of healthcare delivery in the State. He listed some of the modest interventions in the sector to include provision of drugs and other health consumables to health facilities across the 44 Local Government Areas of the State, construction and equipping of two mega hospitals in Kano metropolis namely: Giginyu and Zoo Road Hospitals, which were abandoned for many years, rehabilitation and the upgrade of Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital to a world-class facility and the construction of five 400-bed hospitals across the five Emirates of Kano State, among others.
In his remarks, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, explained that the intervention of the Board in the area of healthcare delivery, is to support government’s efforts, aimed at addressing the huge medical infrastructural gap. The Registrar, who was represented by the Director, National Headquarters Annex, Kaduna, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulqadir Maska, pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic provided the muchneeded impetus for countries around the globe to do the needful by breaking barriers, and tapping into available opportunities. Prof. Oloyede stated that in Nigeria, the COVID-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call, that arouse the consciousness of the nation to the need to adequately equipped all public health institutions. It was against that backdrop that the Board had entered into a partnership with a donor agency, Project C U.R.E., USA, to equip twelve tertiary health institutions in Nigeria. He said Yusuf Maitama Sule University Teaching Hospital, Kano, and the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, were two of the twelve health facilities that benefited from the partnership. In the address of the Vice Chancellor, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano, Prof. Mukhtar Atiku Kurawa, he commended the Prof. Oloyede-led Board for the gesture as well as those extended to him as an individual. He said, “I am delighted to stand here today to express appreciation to Prof. Ishaq Olanrewaju Oloyede, CON, for all he had done for Kano State directly or indirectly through my humble self. These are especially in terms of theofficial visit of the Registrar to the Office of the Rector, Kano State Polytechnic, Kano, in 2016;his appointment as the Kano State Chief External Examiner for JAMB in 2017 to date, his appointment as a Board member of JAMB in 2017, Appointment as the Chairman, Examinations and Admissions Committee, JAMB; his sponsorship to attend the 44th International Association for Educational Assessment (IAEA) Annual Conference on Assessment & Big Data held between 9th and 14th September, 2018, at the University of Oxford, UK, among others. He also pointed out that the Kano State Government had approved the construction of two gigantic faculty buildings, at the main campus of the institution, in addition to many other developmental projects and programmes. Prof. Kurawa further stated that Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, had signed into law, the bill that establishes the Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital (MAWTH) for the University’s MBBS programme to thrive. ” I must confess that my colleagues and myself and other Heads of State-owned Tertiary Institutions in Kano State have never met His Excellency on any demands pertaining to the Institutions and he said no,” he said. Present on the occasion were the Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa; Director-General, Kano State Management Board, Dr. Nasir Alhassan Kabo; Director, JAMB(FCT), Mrs. Zainab Hamza; Zonal Director, Kano, Mr. Usman Zage; Sokoto State Coordinator, Mr. Ahmed Augie; Media Consultant to JAMB, Elder Najim Jimoh; the Head of Public Affairs and Protocols (PAP), Dr. Fabian Benjamin; and other Principal Officers of the University.
2023 UTME: JAMB COLLABORATES WITH CBN ON eNAIRA
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Central Bank T of Nigeria (CBN) have reached an understanding on the use of the eNaira to facilitate payments for the Board’s 2023 UTME application documents. It is to be noted that JAMB is the first agency of Government to adopt the eNaira as a means of payment for the 2023 JAMB Registration e-PIN.
Speaking during a meeting with the Board and its financial partners, the Director, IT, Architecture and Strategy Division, CBN, Mrs. Rakiya Mohammed, who spoke through her representative, Mr. Abdul Shedrack, stated that the eNaira is the digital version of the local paper naira currency, equal in value, backed by law and issued by the CBN. She also stated that the eNaira is not intended to replace cash but will function as a safe, efficient alternative means of payment.
According to him, the benefits of the partnership with the Board as well as its financial partners, are numerous as it would, among other things, promote the digitisation of cash and facilitate the development of e-commerce, enable a reliable mechanism for issuance of bulk JAMB ePINs, reduce overall indirect cost of cash transactions on the broader community, eliminate extortion of candidates and help block leakages in the Board’s transactions as well as support and promote the implementation of Government policies.
With the eWallet implementation, all a candidate needs to do is to download and install the eWallet from the website https://mywallet.enaira.gov.ng or via the Mobile APP on Google PlayStore or Apple IOS Store (search for “eNaira”) or by dialling *997# to get started. The eNaira is seamless and fortified against any forms of abuse.
The key participants and their roles and responsibilities are spelt out as follows: * JAMB creates eNaira wallet, funds it and accepts payment for bulk JAMB registration e-PINs purchased in eNaira. * JAMB Super Agents (JSA) would create eNaira wallet, fund the wallet and buy Registration e-PINs from JAMB using eNaira and accept same for JAMB Registration e-PINs from JAMB agents.
JAMB Agents would create eNaira wallet, fund the wallet and buy registration e-PINs from JSA using eNaira. * Candidates would create eNaira wallet(Edu-wallet), fund the wallet and buy registration ePINs from JAMB and JSA using eNaira.
HARMONISED eBROCHURE, eSYLLABUSES, IBASS TO REPLACE COMPACT DISCS
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board had replaced the compact Disc (CD) hitherto issued to candidates to aid in the selection of their intended programmes with the harmonised eBrochure and eSyllabus, which have been incorporated into the Integrated Brochure and Syllabus System (IBASS).
The JAMB IBASS is an online portal created to help prospective UTME candidates to check whether they are eligible to apply for a course or choose a particular institution. It also contains all the requirements needed to be admitted into any tertiary institutions in the country.
Similarly, the JAMB IBASS Course Eligibility Checker is a platform introduced by JAMB to enable whether they are eligible for their chosen courses or not. As such, it assists candidates to match their requirements with the available programmes in any particular institution of their choice, thus eliminating the need for issuance of CDs for assessing the eBrochure and eSyllabus.
For ease of access, a QR code has been provided as a replacement to access IBASS. The QR code is printed at the back of the reading text issued to all candidates. Also, CBT centres are required to make copies of the QR code and paste same at their waiting halls so that candidates can also access it ahead of registration. This information is contained in several advertisements being run by the Board in both print and electronic media.
SALE OF UTME APPLICATION DOCUMENTS: JAMB WARNS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AGAINST EXTORTION
…says they will be held accountable for the actions of their sub agent
Head of the sale of 2023 UTME A application documents, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) has warned financial institutions participating in the sale of its application documents against extortion of candidates.
The Board stated that only financial institutions registered with the Board would be allowed to vend its e-PINs.
The Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, at an interactive session with financial institutions on Friday, 6th January, 2023, stated that all participating vendors/tellers must indicate interest and register with the Board for ease of identification and record keeping.
While thanking the financial institutions for their support to the Board over the years, he said that their timely and priceless ideas and suggestions have helped the Board to drastically reduce the financial burden of its transactions and helped transform the financial processes of the Board to one that is attuned to modern dictates.
Prof. Oloyede admonished vendors to be upright in their dealings with the aspiring UTME/DE candidates so as not to run foul of its extant rules of engagement.
He said that in the past, payment for Mock-UTME was made to the CBT centres on the day of the examination. However, it was observed that most candidates, who had indicated interest to sit the mock, ended up not showing the examination resulting in waste of manpower and material resources.
The Registrar disclosed that it was this development that made the Board to impose a fee of N1000 payable at the point of registration by candidates interested in taking the Mock-UTME to ensure their commitment.
While rolling out the rates, the Registrar warned against any form of extortion and untoward acts that could jeopardise the noble aspirations of the Board in rendering seamless services to prospective candidates desirous of further education.
He reminded all financial institutions that they would be held accountable for the actions of their sub-agents and, as such, are to ensure that only credible staff are employed to man their operations.
He said candidates have the options of paying through Banks, Mobile Money Operators and online payment on the J A M B p o r t a l t h r o u g h Remita/Interswitch), among others.
The Registrar, while explaining the seamless payment process, said each candidate must have obtained the National Identification Number (NIN) as that is the gateway to the registration because the candidates would first create a profile by sending their NIN, followed by a space, then the eleven-digit number (NIN) to 55019 or 66019.
He stressed that all transactions at the CBT centres would be cashless to prevent warehousing and extortion of candidates.
He disclosed that all payments to centres shall be collected by the Board and remitted to the centres on a weekly basis.
Furthermore, the Registrar explained that the cell phone number used for sending the NIN to 55019 is automatically tied to the candidate’s name supplied by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and would be used in all communications related to the candidate’s application and examination. According to him, after sending a message to 55019, candidates will receive on their phones, a 10-digit profile code and the registered name with NIMC, which would be presented at the point of procurement of e-PINs (Banks, USSD, sales outlets, vendors etc.).
Afterwards, the e-PIN would be sent as a text message to candidates after the payment of all necessary fees.
The candidate will present the e-PIN at any JAMB-accredited CBT centre for registration. The sale of the 2023 UTME application documents would commence on Saturday, January 14th, 2023 and end on Tuesday,14th February, 2023.
JAMB GRANTS OPTIONAL ATTACHED REGISTRATION CENTRES
As part of measures to make registration seamless and reduce overcrowding sometimes experienced during its registration process, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has granted approval for two optional attached registration centres.
The approval was contained in a statement made available to JAMBulletin after a stakeholders’ meeting held on Thursday, 5th January, 2023. According to the statement, a CBT centre, on request, is allowed to have two additional attached registration centres within the State with clearly-stated addresses indicating specific details, such as Street Name, Plot, House Number among others for ease of identification.
Other requirements, according to the statement, is for the centre to have a clear signboard indicating the name of the centre.
The statement added that every additional attached registration centre shall have a separate SIM, while stressing that cybercafes and tutorial centres cannot serve as registration centres.
The statement said the gesture was designed to eliminate the need to move SIMs or routers from the original designated centres. It added that the provision is available to only centres that apply for extra attached registration centres.
It warned that any violation of the guidelines would lead to the revocation of the licence of the infractors.
OGBUAGU EMERGES “THE MOST PRODUCTIVE STAFF OF THE YEAR 2022” AT ABIA STATE OFFICE
Instant and timely recognition of hardwork and reward for exemplary character are some of the ways and means by which the Management of the Board implements its employee engagement policies to ensure that its workforce stay engaged and motivated.
It is, therefore, against this backdrop that the recently -instituted award of “Most Productive Staff of the Year 2022” was conferred on Mr. Anayo Ogbuagu, an Assistant Chief Administrative Officer (ACAO), at the Abia State Office, is to be located. The award, among others, is to recognise and reward diligence, excellence wnd industry among the staff of the State Office.
According to a statement by the Abia State Coordinator, Mr. Johnson Adebiyi, Outstation staff have to contend with the ever-increasing workload occassion by the upsurge in the requests from candidates as a fallout of the userfriendly service regime and the emphasis on customer satisfaction rolled out by the current leadership of the Board. He, therefore, opined that their efforts deserve appreciation and the award was intended to do just that.
Furthermore, Mr. Adebiyi reiterated that there is nothing wrong with singling out the most productive staff for recognition in a bid to encourage others to put in more effort. According to the State Coordinator, Mr. Ogbuagu has a number of desirable traits of which hardwork is one.
Other traits are punctuality, dedication to duty, teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, and most importantly innovative approach to solving problems. He explained further that despite being a graduate of Economics, he had brought his experience to bear as a Technical Staff of the Board to ensure that the facilities at the Board’s Professional Registration Centre, Umuahia, remsin at optimal performance level thereby ensuring that there is no interruption in the processing of candidates’ requests.
In addition, the awardee has also been instrumental to the scaling up of the capacity utilisation of the PTC, from 60% to 85%. within the period under review.
The State Coordinator also disclosed that within the short period of working with the awardee he had distinguished himself.
For instance, he had been observed to be willing to go out of his way to assist in helping out underperforming areas towards the attainment of their key performance indicators, thus facilitating the attainment of the operational responsibilities of the State Office.
The State Coordinator congratulated Mr. Ogbuagu for winning the award and commended him for his hardwork over the years.
He urged other staff to emulate the exemplary character of the awardee by putting in their best in their assigned responsibilities.
JAMB LISTS EXAMINATION TOWNS FOR BLIND, DEAF CANDIDATES
In line with its policy of fostering inclusiveness and providing a level playing field for all its candidates, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has listed designated centres for prospective blind and Deaf candidates.
It would be recalled that the Board had equally established the JAMB Equally Opportunity Group(JEOG) headed by an erudite scholar and former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission(NUC), and the immediate past Chairman of the Board of the National Open University of Nigeria(NOUN), Prof. Peter Okebukola.
In addition, the Prof. Okebukola-led JEOG has also been further empowered to take care of the Albinos. To successfully pursue its mission and vision for the specially -challenged candidates, the Board has also indicated its desire to continue to provide logistics support to these special candidates and their helpers to get to their designated centres to sit their examination.
The list of available Examination Towns are as follows:
Abuja – FCT
Bauchi – Bauchi State
Benin – Edo State
Ado-Ekiti – Ekiti State
Enugu – Enugu State
Kano – Kano State
Kebbi – Kebbi State
Lagos – Lagos State
Oyo – Oyo State
Jos – Plateau State
Yola – Adamawa State.
It is to be noted that candidates choose only Examination Towns not Centres during registration.
A list of Examination Centres is available for any candidate, who indicates that he/she is blind, to choose any centre that is close to his/her residence.
The Board has also graciously approved that up to three Examination Towns can be selected and Registration Officers are advised to indicate by typing BLIND and also pick the preferred option of sitting the examination for the candidate namely: Braille, Recorded or Read Aloud.
JAMB OSUN HOLDS STRATEGIC MEETING AHEAD OF THE 2023 UTME/DE REGISTRATION
A head of the upcoming 2023 UTME/DE registration, the Osun State office of the board a strategic meeting to sensitise its staff on the need to give their best in the discharge of their duties.
The meeting, which was held at the Board’s State Office, Osogbo, on Thursday, 5th January, 2023, was presided over by the State Coordinator, Mr. Babatunde Jacob, who implored the staff to reciprocate the Board’s good intentions given the commitment of the Board to their welfare noting that to whom much is given, much is expected. The State Coordinator also charged all.
Unit Heads to synergise so as to achieve success in the upcoming 2023 UTME/DE registration scheduled to hold from 14th January to 14th February, 2023; and 20th February to 20th April, 2023 respectively.
Mr. Jacob disclosed that the Management of the Board had split the registration exercises for UTME and DE candidates this year to give ample time for the UTME registration exercise in order to minimise error and preclude undue pressure. He added that as DE candidates do not take any examination, it was felt that they should not pay for the exercise they do not partake in.
He stressed further that the DE head of the the upcoming 2023 A UTME/DE registration, the Osun State Office of the Board has held a strategic meeting to sensitise its staff on the need to give their best in the discharge of their duties.
The meeting, which was held at the Board’s State Office, Osogbo, on Thursday, 5th January, 2023, was presided over by the State Coordinator, Mr. Babatunde Jacob, who implored the staff to reciprocate the Board’s good intentions given the commitment of the Board to their welfare noting that to whom much is given, much is expected.
The State Coordinator also charged all candidates’ registration would be limited to JAMB Professional Test Centres (PTC) only. He, therefore, enjoined them to maintain strict professionalism in their approach to the task ahead as well as work as a team to achieve the desired goals. In his response, the PRO and HOD, SERVICOM Unit, Ms. Oluwayemisi Ajibola-Fabusuyi, who spoke on behalf of members of staff of the State Office, expressed appreciation to the State Coordinator for his constant support as well as all the opportunities he had been providing for staff to showcase their professionalism.