"The recent government’s policy which makes the possession of the National Identity Number (NIN) as one of the conditions for registering for the Unified Matriculation Examination (UME) for admission into the university and other tertiary institutions is another example of a good policy that is being implemented at the wrong time," says the Sun in one of its editorials dated back 9th November 2019.

It is against this backdrop we must first of all reconcile the idea behind the need for UME candidates to get NIN to be qualified for the 2020 UME before making recommendations on how to improve the process. Consequently, the spokesperson for JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin was quoted to have said: “The JAMB will, during the 2020 registration exercise, use the National Identity Number (NIN) generated after successful registration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

“This includes the capturing of biometric and other necessary details for the registration of all prospective candidates. Candidates are enjoined to register as the board will no longer be responsible for the capturing of candidates’ biometrics ahead of the examination, as all information required will be uploaded from the data captured by the NIMC. UNICEF hands over 22 renovated PHCs to Bauchi Government. Henceforth, the NIN will be compulsory for the UTME registration.”

Following this declaration by the board, the House of Representatives on 12th November 2019, urged JAMB to extend the commencement year for the compulsory use of National Identification Number (NIN) for better awareness. This implies, the policy came at a time where the policymakers failed to give room for the populace to fathom the essence of such policy so as to prepare themselves for the next phase of life. The question now begging for answers is, why must JAMB make the registration compulsory for its candidates when the so-called political leaders are never in anytime required to provide such means of identification during elections? For me, what's sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. If the politicians could conduct the last elections without such requirement needed for their candidature so, whose benefit is "No NIN, no registration" policy?

It's indeed pitiable to see how these candidates stand in front of NIMC centres across the federation like sheep without shepherds. Such scenario is not needed in a age where technology is the mainstay for every human interaction. Most of the time, some candidates arrive as early as 3am at the few offices of the NIMC scattered throughout the federation and queue in the open for hours on end for an exercise that would probably start five hours later, or even do not start at all, only to return the next day for the same ordeal. Due to power failure and poor Internet service, no NIMC centre has registered more than 20 persons daily since the inception of the exercise.

This is unacceptable in an Internet age where the means of communication are varied, versatile and largely efficient. It's on this note that such chaotic nature of the NIN registration exercise should bemoaned as urgent intervention is needed to make thee process and less hazardous. In other words, there is need to simply make the process of registering for the NIN card easily accessible to all and sundry. If truly the management of the NIMC is aware of the hurdles Nigerians pass through to register for NIN, they ought to have come up with more innovative ways to make the process less cumbersome for the candidates who are the change makers of today (not tomorrow as often implied).

It is pertinent to note that, for us to move at a very fast pace as a nation, we must begin to leverage the potentialities of today's digital age to make things easier rather than putting ourselves under unnecessary pressure In the name of introducing a policy for the benefits of all. There is need for the two parties (JAMB and NIMC) involved in this process to go back to the board and restrategise plans so as to make the registration easy for all the candidates.

Confussion everywhere.

Is people like this opp that are problem of Nigerian, I Know it all mentality