JAMB lifts ban on SIM swap, email change

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has lifted its ban on the swapping of candidates’ registered phone numbers and changing of registered email addresses. This will be a big 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.

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