JAMB to begin registration for 2021 UTME April 8, makes NIN compulsory for candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has set April 8 for the commencement of the registration for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The examination is scheduled to hold between June 5 and June 19, the agency said.

The examination body, which is responsible for the conduct of the entrance examination into the nation’s tertiary institutions, took the decision at the meeting of its governing board held on March 22.

According to a statement issued by the board and signed by the head of the public affairs and protocol unit, Fabian Benjamin, both the UTME and the direct entry forms will be on sale concurrently.

It, however, added that for any prospective candidates to be registered, the National Identification Number (NIN) is mandatory.

The NIN, which is a unique number that identifies individuals, is issued by the country’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) upon enrolment.

“For any person to be registered for UTME/DE, he/she must supply his/her National Identity Number (NIN). It is therefore mandatory for participation in the 2021 Registration Exercise,” the statement reads in part.

JAMB had in the past made the NIN mandatory for the candidates willing to register for its examinations but later announced the cancellation of the policy following the harrowing experiences of the candidates at the various registration centres.

Meanwhile, the examination body has retained the cost of registration at N3,500 and an additional N500 for the mandatory purchase of reading texts for the candidates.

It added that the forms will be on sale across 700 centres nationwide between April 8 and May 15, while the examination is scheduled to hold between June 5 and June 19, 2021.