JAMB  Closes 2023 UTME Registration, to Review SIM  Swap Policy

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has finally decided to close

the books on the 2023 UTME registration exercise as the extension announced the previous week elapsed on February 22, 2023.

The Board had granted the extension to accommodate candidates who could not register for the 2023 UTME within the allowable window of January 14 to February 14, 2023, owing to exigencies related to recent developments in the country.

Also, based on reports received from the various monitoring teams across the country, the Board would review its SIM number swap policy.

It said it would now require the Telcos to confirm that the old SIM being put forward for swapping  previously belonged to the applicant but had been issued to another person, which would preclude the possibility of a SIM welcome back before such swapping would be approved.

In a statement issued by the Board by its spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, at the close of the registration exercise, about 1.6million candidates had successfully registered for the 2023 examinations.

He said the number does not include the Direct Entry component of the exercise, which had commenced on February 20, 2023, before it was put on hold on February 21, 2023.

In the same vein, the registrar’s monitoring team, which had gone round the country, was in Nasarawa and Delta States on the final day of the exercise to oversee its conclusion.

It stated that: “In Asaba, Delta State, the team visited Trinity Innovation Hub CBT Centre; Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku CBT Centre 1 and 2; Delta State Library CBT, and others.

“It was, however, remarkable that none of these centres had any candidates waiting to be registered indicating that almost all candidates, who desire to register for the exercise had done so.

“The same situation was replicated in many centres in Nasarawa State as few candidates were seen at all the centres a day to the closing date and even these were cleared before the close of work.

“Hence, from every indication, this year’s exercise is shaping up to be the smoothest the Board has ever had.

“However, based on reports received from the various monitoring teams across the country, the Board would review its SIM number swap policy as it will now require the Telcos to confirm that the old SIM being put forward for swapping  previously belonged to the applicant but had been issued to another person, which would, therefore, preclude the possibility of a SIM welcome back before such swapping would be approved,” he said.