Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced automation of curriculum, accreditation and general administration matters between the organisation and relevant stakeholders, including tertiary institutions and regulatory agencies, through its Interactive e-Brochure and e-Syllabus System (IBASS).
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who made the disclosure at a meeting with regulatory agencies and tertiary institutions from the Northern and Southern regions in Abuja, yesterday, explained that from January 1, 2023, the Board would not accept letters from institutions or agencies except through IBASS.
He noted that the interactive platform would engender seamless communication between JAMB and its publics without resort to letter writing as currently obtains.
Oloyede said the automation would provide personalised services to the institutions and agencies, as only JAMB and the institutions will be able to see any communication on the platform.
His words: “We discovered that we spend our time attending to letters from some major stakeholders of the Board and the major stakeholders are essentially regulatory agencies: NUC (National Universities Commission), NBTE (National Board for Technical Education) and NCCE (National Commission for Colleges of Education). Apart from these stakeholders, we also receive letters from 890 institutions across the country.
“Essentially, the regulatory agencies appeal to us for approval of new programmes and accreditation of programmes. And what we receive from institutions is essentially about admission and registration or accreditation of new courses or quota issue.”
The JAMB boss said the Board felt that having been able to augment its communication with over two million students across tertiary institutions through its Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), it could apply same to admission and accreditation matters relating to regulatory agencies and tertiary institutions.
He continued: “With this platform, if NUC approves admission quota, it would be centralised in such a way that as soon as you see approved, everybody will see it and there is no need to write to JAMB.” Oloyede expressed the hope that the platform would improve operational efficiency.
In his remarks, NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, said in the last six years, JAMB has built a strong relationship with regulatory agencies and institutions of higher learning in the country. He observed that the cordial ties have yielded many positives, including establishment of platforms.
The NUC chief executive stressed that communication, as tool for organisational efficiency, could be overemphasised, while commending JAMB for setting up CAPS and IBASS to improve efficiency within the Board.
He added that IBASS introduction had revolutionised admission process in the country, urging institutions to make the best use of the noble innovation.
Also speaking, NBTE Executive Secretary, Prof. Idris Muhammad Bugaje, noted that birthing IBASS and CAPS was the way to go, as the nation requires digitisation of all its communications.
He decried failure by some polytechnic rectors to embrace digitisation, adding that the Board will soon commence digitisation of all its processes, including accreditation in all polytechnics nationwide.
On his part, NCCE Executive Secretary, Prof. Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, acknowledged that the platform would make admission process seamless. He commended the JAMB Registrar on the many initiatives taken to reduce delay.