A grieving widow, Dr. Jane Uche, has appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to address the issue of SIM card loss, which has prevented her children from registering for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
A Devastating Setback for Her Children’s Education
Speaking in an interview, Dr. Uche revealed that her late husband had used his phone number to generate profile codes for their two children during previous UTME registrations. Following his unexpected passing, she has been unable to retrieve his SIM card, leaving her children unable to register for the upcoming examination.
“I have three children aged 20, 18, and 16. None of them have been able to gain admission since their father passed away. While my eldest child’s peers are nearing graduation, mine are still at home. The grief only worsens because of these recurring challenges,” she lamented.
Failed Attempts to Resolve the Issue
Dr. Uche explained that she has visited several JAMB offices in an effort to resolve the issue but has been repeatedly informed that JAMB does not currently support SIM swaps. The board’s current policy requires that the same SIM card used in previous registrations must be used to generate a profile code for subsequent UTME attempts.
JAMB’s Response and Available Solutions
In response to her plea, JAMB’s Spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, acknowledged the unfortunate situation but reiterated that the SIM swap feature remains unavailable. However, he noted that a new feature has been introduced at Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers to assist candidates who are unable to retrieve their previously used SIM cards.
“Good news for those who cannot retrieve their previously used but lost SIM cards. A feature is now available at all CBT centers to address this issue. Kindly fill out the template to access this service for the coming UTME/DE registration. However, SIM swap remains unavailable,” JAMB announced via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
Call for Policy Review
Dr. Uche’s appeal has highlighted the rigid nature of JAMB’s SIM registration policy and the challenges faced by candidates in similar situations. Education advocates and affected candidates have called on the board to implement a more flexible system that allows for identity verification without relying solely on a specific SIM card.
With the UTME registration deadline approaching, many affected candidates remain hopeful that JAMB will introduce additional measures to ensure that unforeseen circumstances do not hinder students’ academic progress.