The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has relaxed its long-standing policy on SIM swaps and email changes, allowing candidates who have lost access to their registered phone numbers or email addresses to update their details through a secure verification process beginning Monday, September 21, 2026.
The Board said the decision followed improvements in identity authentication and biometric verification, making it possible to protect candidates’ records while providing relief to genuine applicants facing access challenges.
In a statement issued by the Acting Director of Public Affairs and Protocols, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB explained that the service was introduced to ensure that candidates were not denied access to future Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) processes because they could no longer use their registered phone numbers or email accounts.
The Board noted that it had previously prohibited SIM swaps and email changes because of security risks associated with altering candidates’ registration details.
According to JAMB, the new arrangement will be available only at designated JAMB Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centres and State Offices where applicable, while each candidate will be allowed to use the service only once.
Candidates seeking the update must first log into their e-Facility profile, pay the prescribed fee, undergo biometric verification at an approved centre, provide a new GSM number and/or email address, and upload a scanned court affidavit before the request is processed.
JAMB stressed that the service would operate under strict security measures to prevent impersonation, fraud and unauthorised changes to candidates’ profiles.
The Board urged candidates to avoid unauthorised centres and use only approved JAMB facilities for the process.
The policy review is expected to remove a major obstacle faced by many candidates who lost access to their registered SIM cards or email accounts and were unable to complete admission-related processes in previous years.
JAMB said the initiative reflects its commitment to combining strong data security with improved service delivery, ensuring that genuine candidates are not unfairly disadvantaged while protecting the integrity of the admission system.
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