The Joint Admissions and Matrication Board (JAMB) has made it compulsory for all candidates applying to study programmes in tertiary institutions in Nigeria to use National Identification Number (NIN) for registration.

Registrar of JAMB, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, who made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said this was part of measures to checkmate the nefarious activities of fraudulent characters, “who are scheming to compromise candidates’ records through dubious registration channels”.

He has accordingly directed all prospective candidates in the non-regular category including National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Distance Learning, Part-time and Sandwich programmes must through the use of NIN create a profile code, before registering with JAMB.

The statement made available to newsmen by the spokesperson of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, read: “This Advisory is issued to all the concerned institutions, and candidates desirous of applying to study under the non-regular mode of study in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

“As part of measures to checkmate the nefarious activities of fraudulent characters, who are scheming to compromise candidates’ records through dubious registration channels and in compliance with its enabling act, JAMB has mandated that all applicants desirous of studying in Nigerian tertiary institutions must provide their NIN while registering for any programme of study in any tertiary institution in Nigeria irrespective of whether the mode of study is regular and non-regular.

“Consequently, it has now become mandatory for all prospective candidates in the non-regular category (NOUN, Distance Learning, Part-time and Sandwich programmes) to create a profile code, before registering with JAMB, by sending their NIN, through their unique phone number to either of the Board’s sort code (55019 or 66019).

“Immediately after the creation of profile, each candidate will proceed to a CBT Centre for registration. After the registration, the candidate’s details will appear on the CAPS (Central Admission Processing System) of the institution of choice under non-regular admission.

“The institution will then propose and recommend to the Board for approval and the candidate will accept and print admission letter.

“Furthermore, all previous candidates in the non-regular programmes, who had not integrated their NIN or unique phone number on the Board’s platform, would have to create a profile using their respective NINs to access any of the services of the Board.

“No candidate can use the process to change any of the data already supplied to the Board.

“JAMB, as a responsive organisation that is conscious of the peculiarities of the non-regular studies, will continue to make the registration process as flexible as possible by making its platform available throughout the year.

“It is, therefore, expected that candidates, who fall under this category, will apply through JAMB before approaching their preferred institutions to process their admission with their respective JAMB registration numbers.

“They would also be expected to pay their preferred institution a processing fee as determined by the respective institutions,” it stated.