The Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Segun Aina, says the board is optimising its policies to build public trust, enhance transparency and reduce the difficulties candidates encounter during registration, examinations and the admission process.
Aina stated this on Wednesday during an interaction with Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates as part of activities marking the 2026 Customer Week at JAMB’s Abuja Zonal Office.
He said the policy adjustments were designed to improve candidates’ experiences without necessarily introducing fundamental changes to the board’s existing operational framework.
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“All the policy optimisation that we are doing is centred around two things: building trust and reducing trauma,” Aina said.
According to him, the board is committed to making its processes more transparent, accessible and responsive to the needs of candidates and other stakeholders in the admission system.
He explained that one of the areas where the board had improved its services was the provision of more detailed information on candidates’ admission status.
Aina noted that candidates previously had to contend with vague notifications such as “not admitted” or “admission in progress”, leaving many of them uncertain about the progress of their applications.
He said the improved system now provides candidates with more information about their admission status, helping to reduce anxiety and uncertainty while strengthening confidence in the process.
The JAMB registrar described the improvements as small but significant adjustments intended to make the board’s services more efficient and user-friendly.
He also disclosed that technological innovations had enabled JAMB to introduce greater flexibility in updating candidates’ personal information, particularly their telephone numbers and email addresses.
According to him, candidates previously faced difficulties changing these details when they lost access to their registered telephone numbers or email accounts because the information served as unique identifiers within the board’s system.
He said the board had now leveraged technology to facilitate such changes while maintaining the security and integrity of its operations.
Aina explained that the objective was to prevent candidates from experiencing unnecessary hardship when they needed to recover access to their accounts or update their information.
On changes to candidates’ names and other personal details, he said JAMB had strengthened its collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which is responsible for identity management in the country.
According to him, candidates can now align their details with NIMC records and ensure consistency with the information maintained by JAMB.
The registrar warned candidates against attempting to exploit the system to manipulate their identities, stressing that anyone found engaging in fraudulent practices would face the full consequences of the law.
He also highlighted the significance of the harmonised examination timetable, noting that although it could leave JAMB with a shorter preparation period, it would benefit the wider education sector by ensuring that results were released within the period required for admission exercises.
Aina stressed that the board was determined to ensure that qualified candidates secured admission on merit without having to rely on personal connections or knowing influential individuals.
The registrar maintained that a credible admission system must provide equal opportunities for candidates and ensure that institutions complied with the applicable admission requirements.
He further disclosed that JAMB had inaugurated a committee to examine the possibility of incorporating critical thinking and life skills into its examinations.
He said JAMB was examining whether the existing assessment framework could be strengthened by introducing additional measures that would help determine candidates’ reasoning abilities, decision-making skills and capacity to apply knowledge to practical situations.
The registrar noted that academic qualifications remained important, but argued that institutions and employers increasingly needed individuals who could think critically, solve problems and make responsible decisions.
He cited the medical profession as an example, explaining that healthcare practitioners required not only technical knowledge but also the ability to assess situations, make sound decisions and understand how their actions affected other people.
He said the proposed assessment would require careful investigation to determine whether critical thinking and life skills could contribute meaningfully to the selection and subsequent performance of candidates.
The registrar emphasised that the objective was not to abandon the existing academic requirements but to explore additional ways of identifying candidates whose abilities and competencies matched the demands of their chosen programmes.
He said the board would rely on the committee’s findings before determining the next steps, underscoring the need for evidence-based decisions in introducing any new assessment method.
Aina reiterated that the board would continue to leverage technology, strengthen institutional partnerships and refine its operational policies to make the admission process less stressful for candidates while protecting the credibility of the system.
He said the ultimate goal was to build a transparent and dependable admission framework in which candidates could access information, resolve legitimate problems and compete fairly for available places in tertiary institutions.
The interaction formed part of JAMB’s 2026 Customer Week activities, which provided an opportunity for the board to engage directly with candidates, listen to their concerns and explain measures being taken to improve its services.
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