The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has relaxed its long-standing restriction on the swapping of candidates’ registered GSM numbers and changing of registered email addresses, offering relief to candidates who have lost access to their credentials.

Under the revised policy, candidates, who have lost their registered SIM cards or are unable to recover their registered email accounts, can now update the details through a controlled verification process designed to protect their profiles from fraud and unauthorised access.

The new arrangement takes effect Monday, September 21, 2026, according to a statement issued by JAMB’s Acting Director, Public Affairs and Protocols, Dr Fabian Benjamin.

The board had previously prohibited SIM swapping and email changes because of security vulnerabilities associated with alterations to candidates’ registered credentials.

However, JAMB said the emergence of stronger identity authentication and biometric verification systems had enabled it to review the policy without compromising the integrity of candidates’ records.

The development is expected to ease the difficulties faced by candidates who, after losing access to their registered telephone numbers or email accounts, have been unable to use the credentials for subsequent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) processes.

JAMB said the reviewed policy was intended to ensure that genuine candidates were not disadvantaged by circumstances beyond their control.

It, however, warned that the concession would operate under strict authentication procedures to prevent impersonation, fraud and unauthorised alterations of candidates’ records.

Significantly, the board said the SIM swap and/or email change service would be available to each candidate only once.

According to JAMB, the service will be available exclusively at designated JAMB Computer-Based Test (CBT) (PTC/PRC) Centres, including state offices where applicable.

Candidates seeking to change their registered details are required to provide the new GSM number and/or email address, as applicable, as well as a duly executed court affidavit, which must be scanned and ready for upload.

JAMB outlined a seven-step procedure for candidates seeking to access the service.

First, candidates are required to log into their e-Facility profile using their existing credentials, including their email address, registration number or profile code.

They are then expected to select ‘SIM Swap/eMail Change Payment’ from the menu and pay the prescribed fee.

After payment, the candidate is to proceed to a designated JAMB CBT (PTC/PRC) Centre and access the SIM Swap/eMail Change Quicklink.

The candidate will enter the profile code or existing GSM number and select ‘Fetch Details’.

This will be followed by biometric verification, after which the candidate will select the required service—GSM number only, email address only, or both GSM number and email address.

The candidate will then enter the new GSM number and/or email address and upload the scanned court affidavit before clicking ‘Update’ to complete the process.

A confirmation message will be displayed once the update is successfully completed.

JAMB urged candidates to use the facility strictly for genuine cases and warned them against patronising unauthorised outlets.

The board said the revised policy was part of its efforts to strike a balance between tight data security and candidate-friendly service delivery, ensuring that legitimate candidates do not suffer unnecessary setbacks in their pursuit of tertiary education admission. (This Day)