The Independent National Electoral Commission has offered to lend its biometric verification technology to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, a move both agencies say will deepen cooperation between two of Nigeria’s most consequential federal institutions.
The offer came on Friday when the 
, Prof. Segun Aina, led the Board’s management team on a courtesy visit to INEC headquarters in Abuja. Aina told his hosts that JAMB had approached INEC as a sister agency with extensive experience deploying biometric systems to identify and verify millions of Nigerians, and was hoping to tap into equipment INEC may no longer be actively using.
He appealed to the Commission to consider releasing some of that equipment to strengthen the integrity of JAMB’s examination processes, a system that screens hundreds of thousands of candidates every year.
Responding, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, welcomed the delegation and praised JAMB’s role in shaping the country’s education system and its youth. He was joined by senior INEC officials including the National Commissioner for Outreach and Partnerships, Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, and the Director of ICT, Dr Lawrence Bayode.
Amupitan pointed to INEC’s recent electoral outings, including the Anambra and FCT Area Council elections and the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls, as proof of the Commission’s growing technical capacity, noting that the deployments had drawn commendation from the Office of the National Security Adviser and the UK High Commission.
He directed the Director of ICT to review JAMB’s request and carry out a proof of concept assessment to determine what equipment is available and suitable for handover.
The INEC boss described the visit as evidence of the value of inter agency collaboration and assured JAMB that the Commission remained open to further cooperation. Aina, in turn, thanked INEC for the reception and reaffirmed JAMB’s interest in building a stronger institutional relationship with the Commission.
By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed
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