Come to headquarters if you have biometric challenges, JAMB tells candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said candidates with biometric challenges can only register at the JAMB National Headquarters, Abuja. 

According to the weekly bulletin of the Board, obtained by Blueprint in Abuja, Monday, candidates who experience issues with their fingerprints or facial recognition scans during their registration or verification process, especially during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), where biometric identification is mandatory, can only be registered at the Board’s National Headquarters, Abuja. 

“It is to be noted that no candidates will be allowed to enter the examination hall or have his examination processed if his biometrics is not verified. 

“Hence, candidates with biometrics abnormalities will not only register but also take their examination at the Board’s National Headquarters, Abuja, on the last day of the national examination calendar with JAMB facilitating their travels,” the board stated.

…Upholds free UTME application for candidates with disabilities 

Similarly, JAMB said it will continue to uphold decisions reached at the 1st National Conference on Equal Opportunity of Access to Higher Education for Candidates with Disabilities, especially with regard to that, which obligates the Board to issue free UTME forms to candidates with disabilities, who possess five O’level credits.

While assessing the impact of the scheme, the Board noted that the free UTME application forms regime started last year, and has, not only cushioned the financial burden on this category of candidates, but has also greatly improved their access to tertiary education.

To operationalise the scheme, the Board had charged the JAMB-Equal Opportunity Group(JEOG), in conjunction with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), to work out the necessary modalities for its smooth implementation. 

To forestall the incidence of impersonators, the Board has directed that candidates with disabilities would buy their application documents as other candidates and on the day of examination, after their verification and authentication, such candidate would be refunded their application fees.

The Board assured candidates with disabilities that it would continue to do everything possible within allowable limits to advance their cause.