The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is seeking access to some biometric verification equipment owned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of efforts to improve examination services without increasing the financial burden on candidates.
The request was made by the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, during a courtesy visit to the INEC headquarters in Abuja, where he led the Board’s management team to meet with the Commission’s leadership.
Aina said the proposal was driven by the need to optimise existing government resources and sustain the quality of services provided to millions of candidates within the Board’s current fee regime.
According to him, JAMB and INEC operate systems that share important similarities, particularly in the areas of biometric technology, identity verification and the protection of the integrity of sensitive processes.
He therefore urged INEC to consider releasing, where feasible, some of its biometric verification machines that may not be fully deployed for use by JAMB during its examinations, subject to relevant approvals and technical assessments.
The JAMB Registrar said such inter-agency resource sharing would help government maximise investments already made in technology while reducing the need for additional expenditure.
He also used the visit to formally introduce the new JAMB management to INEC and expressed the Board’s appreciation for the Commission’s continued patronage of its services, particularly in recruitment exercises.
Responding, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, welcomed the initiative and directed the Commission’s Director of Information and Communications Technology to examine JAMB’s request.
Amupitan instructed the ICT directorate to conduct a proof-of-concept assessment to determine the availability, technical condition and suitability of INEC’s biometric equipment for possible deployment by JAMB.
The INEC Chairman described the proposal as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between two federal institutions with overlapping technological needs.
He said greater collaboration and resource sharing among government agencies could improve efficiency, reduce duplication and enhance public service delivery.
Amupitan also announced plans to reciprocate JAMB’s visit by paying a courtesy visit to the Board’s headquarters at a mutually convenient date.
The two agencies agreed to continue discussions on biometric technology and other areas of mutual interest, with a view to developing practical mechanisms for stronger inter-agency collaboration.
