JAMB Registrar Resolves Over 5,000 Pending Complaints in Five Days

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has resolved more than 5,000 pending complaints from candidates within five days following an intervention by its newly appointed Registrar, Professor Segun Aina.

The exercise was part of efforts to improve service delivery and reduce the difficulties faced by candidates during registration, examinations and admission processes. The board said the complaints were handled through its Service Compact with All Nigerians, known as SERVICOM.

According to a statement by JAMB’s Acting Director of Public Affairs and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, Professor Aina strengthened the SERVICOM unit after assuming office and directed its officers to address complaints promptly and comprehensively. The registrar also relocated to the unit to personally review unresolved cases and monitor the speed at which they were being handled.

The board said the intervention had already produced results, with more than 5,000 pending complaints resolved within five days. The cases covered a wide range of problems affecting candidates who were registering for examinations, seeking admission or trying to complete administrative processes after their examinations.

Among the issues addressed were difficulties generating profile codes. Some candidates were unable to create new codes because they had previously registered with telephone numbers they no longer used or could no longer access. The situation affected candidates who had lost their phones, changed their SIM cards or no longer had access to the numbers linked to their JAMB profiles.

Biometric verification problems were also reviewed. The board said some candidates had experienced genuine biometric failures during registration or the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. These cases were examined to distinguish technical or physical verification problems from attempts to evade the board’s identity requirements.

The registrar also examined complaints linked to the Central Admissions Processing System, commonly known as CAPS. The system is used to manage admission offers and related processes, making it a crucial part of the transition from examination to university or other tertiary education.

Some CAPS-related cases involved candidates who had lost access to their phones or SIM cards, as well as candidates who changed from Direct Entry to UTME. The board also addressed complaints concerning graduates whose names were missing from the National Matriculation List.

Payment-related problems were another category handled during the exercise. Candidates often depend on electronic payments and e-PINs to complete registration and other JAMB processes. When such payments fail or an e-PIN is not properly generated, candidates can lose time and may fear missing important deadlines.

The intervention also covered inappropriate examination venues, technical challenges and difficulties uploading documents. Changes involving candidates’ names, dates of birth, states of origin and local government areas were also reviewed and resolved where the board found the requests to be genuine.

JAMB said the new approach requires SERVICOM officers to look at complaints holistically rather than treating each issue as an isolated ticket. This means officers are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding a candidate’s problem, identify the responsible department and provide a complete resolution instead of merely redirecting the complaint.

The move is significant because JAMB’s processes affect millions of young Nigerians seeking admission into universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions. A small technical error can have serious consequences for a candidate, including missed registration deadlines, inability to sit for an examination or delayed admission.

The board has faced criticism in the past when candidates experienced technical problems, result disputes and difficulties with registration or admission platforms. In 2025, JAMB acknowledged complaints about technical issues affecting some UTME results and ordered a review of the affected examination centres.

By taking the complaint-resolution process directly to the SERVICOM unit, Professor Aina appears to be signalling that candidate support will be a priority under his administration. The approach could also improve confidence in the board if candidates receive quicker explanations and clear decisions on their cases.

However, resolving thousands of complaints is only one part of the challenge. JAMB will need to prevent similar problems from accumulating in the future by improving its digital platforms, strengthening help desks and providing clearer instructions before registration and admission exercises begin.

Candidates also have a responsibility to protect their registration details, maintain access to the phone numbers and email addresses linked to their profiles and keep copies of payment receipts and official correspondence. These steps can make it easier to verify identity and resolve problems when they arise.

For now, the resolution of more than 5,000 pending complaints offers relief to affected candidates. It also provides an early indication that JAMB’s new leadership is placing greater emphasis on responsive administration and direct engagement with the people who depend on its services.