The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says the possibility of shifting the date for the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is very high.

The 2021 UTME is scheduled to hold between June 5 and 19. 

Speaking during a virtual meeting with 2021 UTME committee members on Friday, JAMB Registrar Prof Ishaq Oloyede said candidates were finding it difficult to register due to the challenges of the National Identification Number (NIN).

According to him, so far, 1.1 million candidates have registered for the 2021 UTME, he added that the board anticipates approximately 1.9 million registrations at the end of the exercise.

The JAMB boss noted that even though 50 per cent of candidates have already registered without problem, there was need to carry everyone along, adding that after meeting with stakeholders, the board will decide on whether to shift the exam forward or not.

Oloyede apologised for the new initiatives introduced in the 2021 UTME, saying that it was not to punish candidates but to exposed candidates in the habit of indulging in various forms of malpractices.

He added that candidates were expected to provide two pictures on the candidate slip, picture of the person who registered at JAMB office, picture of the owner of the name who registered with NIN.

He called on candidates to take note of the process, adding that the essence was to detect any disparity in the process.