By Abigail Mbah
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has eased a long-standing restriction, allowing candidates who have lost access to the phone number or email linked to their registration to update those details, but only once.
The board announced the change on its official X account on Monday, describing it as a secure, controlled process available strictly for genuine cases. Every request will go through identity checks and biometric verification and must be handled at designated Computer-Based Test centres.
Previously, the phone number and email provided during JAMB registration were treated as permanent identifiers. Candidates were repeatedly warned to use personal SIMs and email addresses because they could not be swapped later. The registered number is especially critical: it is used when a candidate sends their National Identification Number to generate a profile code. Losing the SIM or email account effectively locked people out of key parts of their JAMB profile.
Until now, the only advice for those who lost their registered SIM was to try recovering the number through their network provider. The new policy creates a formal alternative when recovery is no longer possible.
To make the change, candidates need to supply the new phone number, the new email address, or both. They must also present a duly executed court affidavit, which has to be scanned and ready for upload. The update can only be processed at approved locations like Professional Testing Centres, Professional Registration Centres, and relevant state offices.
JAMB has stressed that the service is available just once. Candidates should therefore double-check that the new contact details are active and will remain accessible. The board also warned against using any unauthorised intermediaries or informal channels to attempt the update.
The move addresses a practical friction point in Nigeria’s largely digital admissions system. With profile codes, result checking, and communication all tied to those original contact details, the one-time correction option should reduce the number of candidates locked out of their own registration records.