By Boluwatife Adedokun
Across Nigeria, growing frustration is mounting among students and graduates over the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) name correction policy, which many say is delaying National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation and, in some cases, affecting employment opportunities.
Under the current system, candidates are allowed to make only limited corrections to names on their JAMB records, mostly involving minor spelling adjustments or rearrangement of names.
However, many affected graduates say the board does not permit full name changes even after such corrections have been officially updated on their National Identification Number (NIN), birth certificates and university records, creating discrepancies that often affect NYSC mobilisation and other official documentation processes.
Amid the concerns, a graduate of Ekiti State University, Temiloluwa Okundalaye, has called on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to review the policy, describing it as a growing challenge affecting students and graduates across the country.
According to her, the inability of candidates to fully correct or modify names on their JAMB records, even after making corrections on their National Identification Number (NIN), has left many graduates unable to proceed for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
She explained that discrepancies between names on JAMB records, NIN and university portals often prevent graduates from being mobilised for service.
Okundalaye said she used his NIN details during JAMB registration years ago, unaware that the middle name on the document would later create complications.
“The middle name on my NIN then was different and I used it to register for JAMB. At that time, I felt that with court affidavit and other supporting documents, it could always be corrected later.
“If I had known it would become this serious, I would have corrected my NIN first before registering for JAMB,” she said.
According to her, after discovering the discrepancy, he approached the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and successfully corrected the name on his NIN using supporting documents including a court affidavit.
She, however, said efforts to reflect the same correction on his JAMB profile proved unsuccessful.
“I went to the JAMB office after correcting my NIN, thinking the correction would also be possible there since JAMB registration was linked to NIN. But I was told they do not accept full names.
“They said only minor letter corrections are accepted, not complete changes,” she said.
Okundalaye explained that she was later issued a correction form which was taken to his institution for endorsement.
According to her, after the Vice Chancellor’s office forwarded the request to JAMB, the application was eventually rejected.
“I got a message later that it was not approved because I did not have enough evidence. Since then, nothing has changed,” she added.
She lamented that the situation has left many graduates stranded, especially those unable to proceed for NYSC due to inconsistencies in their documents.
“Your JAMB name must tally with your NIN and university portal before NYSC will approve you. My university portal has been corrected, my NIN has also been corrected, but JAMB is still the issue.
“Now somebody’s life is on hold because of a mistake made years ago. Most organisations request a NYSC certificate before employment, so this affects people’s future and livelihood,” she said.
She urged JAMB to introduce a structured process that would allow affected candidates to correct their names through strict verification measures.
“Even if candidates have to pay penalty fees, submit court affidavits or do biometric verification and thumbprinting to confirm identity, something can still be done.
“The thumbprint used during registration can still confirm that the same person is requesting the correction,” she said.
Checks on X, formerly Twitter, showed that several Nigerians have also complained about similar experiences involving JAMB name corrections.
An X user, @richvrdsi, wrote, “Sorry please how do I go about it, I have not been able to serve for almost 3 years because of this. I want to change my middle name on JAMB to what is on my NIN.”
Another user, @Doree__, said she changed her name so it could tally with her JAMB, BVN and NIN records while preparing for NYSC, describing the process as stressful.
“I did a change of name so my information can tally with JAMB, BVN and NIN when I was preparing for service and the stress wasn’t worth it,” she wrote.
Also reacting, @itz_haypen asked JAMB what a student should do after discovering that the name on his NIN did not match the one used during registration despite already processing corrections at a NIN office.
Another X user, Promise Ekwueme, narrated how his wife encountered difficulties printing her JAMB admission letter after changing her surname following marriage.
Similarly, @Chioma___ complained that despite spending money on change of name processes and verification exercises, she continued facing difficulties with JAMB documentation.
