Need for extension of JAMB direct entry registration

The 2024 JAMB Direct Entry (DE) registration into tertiary institutions commenced on 28th February, 2024 and is scheduled to close on 28th March, 2024 (less than a week away).

There have been a series of complaints on the registration process by applicants and with the way it is going, many applicants may not meet up with the registration thereby extending their stay at home by an additional one year. This sad development is capable of increasing social vices in the society as an idle mind is believed to be the devil’s workshop.

First issue has to do with centralising the registration at JAMB offices. This has slowed down the registration process and put applicants at risk. I could recall last year’s registration, a young applicant from Sabon Gari LGA, Zaria, Kaduna State died in a vehicle accident on her way back from JAMB office in Kaduna to her Zaria destination after concluding her registration.

Several other applicants have been put at risk and stressed having been made to travel from their respective destinations to the JAMB offices which are mostly found in just one location in all states. I feel the examination body would have made it easier by maintaining its previous practice where applicants can completely register in recognised CBT centers instead of going to JAMB offices.

The second issue has to do with regularisation and normalisation of A Level admissions by the examination body. There are several applicants that have unresolved issues with regularisation and normalisation. Most of these applicants have made submissions to JAMB through their institutions to resolve their issues but they are yet to be attended to. These sets of applicants may also be denied the opportunity to register. We are in a digital age and expectedly, such regularisation and normalisation issues should be treated within a week instead of months or years. We need to move with time. Things should be done with ease.

Thirdly, candidates were required to present some documents at JAMB offices to process their registration, they include: 1- NCE JAMB admission letter

2- School Admission letter

3- NCE Certificate

4- O-level result

The examination body in its 2024 registration exercise introduced a kind of verification of the documents stated in 1 to 3 above, especially A level Certificates (National Diploma, NCE and IJMB). This is where the problem associated with the registration lies. Candidates need to go to the JAMB office and initiate the registration; the JAMB office would in turn scan their documents and send them to the issuing institutions (polytechnics or Colleges of Education) for verification. This process ends up making candidates go to the JAMB office 2-3 times without being registered. Some of the issuing institutions also complained of non receipt of the scanned certificates from JAMB for verification. The examination body did not also take cognizance of the fact that some institutions charge stipulated fees for verification. I am aware of some universities that charge fees for verification of certificates.

With these and other problems not stated in this write up, it is evident that many prospective students are at the risk of missing the 2024 JAMB Direct Entry registration. Several video clips have emerged where frustrated candidates were seen in their numbers at JAMB offices as a result of the slow pace of the registration exercise.

Moving forward, there is a need for the examination body to extend the registration exercise by an additional one month in the first instance, which could be subject to further shifts. There’s also a need for the examination body to resolve other issues associated with the registration such as pending regularisation, normalisation and other bottlenecks associated with the verification of A level certificates, as most institutions receive mails in bits or do not receive mails from the body. It is hoped the authorities concerned i.e, the Federal Ministry of Education and JAMB would look into this and ensure all prospective candidates are not denied the opportunity to apply for the 2024 Direct Entry.

It would be worrisome allowing these teeming youth to stay idle at home for another one year, especially as the country is facing numerous security and social challenges. The best way to keep these youth off social vices is to get them engaged. Education is part of the rights the government owes citizens, they should therefore not be denied.

Halilu Hassan wrote haliluhassan2020@gmail.com