Sidmach Technologies Develops e-Registration System for JAMB

L – R: Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Executive Governor, Edo State, Mrs. Yemi Keri, Executive Director ICT, Edo State, Dele Akinsade, Technology Lead, Akin Akinwolere, Account Technology Strategist, Public Sector and Dan Ogbonna, Depth Segment Marketing Manager, all of Microsoft Anglophone West Africa at the 2^nd Edo State Technology Day which held recently

An e-Registration System has been designed by Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited, a Microsoft Gold Partner, for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The system will enable candidates register online for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The process also allows for seamless registration, more efficient record keeping and elimination of the trauma associated with manual registration, as well as prevalent exam malpractices resulting from poor monitoring.
Primarily built on the Microsoft Visual Studio.Net and the SQL Server 2008 platforms, this engine captures candidates’ bio-data, UTME Subjects, First and Second choices of Institution and Course, O/Level subjects and grades, Examination Town, passport photograph and biometric (fingerprint) data.
The system also provides step by step instructions on how to fill the form online, offering a simplified online brochure, which provides candidates with a variety of courses and institutions to choose from, taking into consideration their preferred catchment areas. In addition, the system provides information to JAMB on the candidates for the UTME, as well as reports to JAMB for the management of the examination.
“The implementation of the project began with the capturing and validation of information, for the 1.49 million candidates who sat for the 2011 UTME. The captured information was stored in a Microsoft SQL Server database which ensured trusted, productive, and intelligent data platform that provided excellent encryption which guarded against tampering,” said Mike Olajide, Managing Director of Sidmach Technologies,
Olajide further explained that the project included the provision of 3,200 Fingerprint Scanners and HP mini laptops, running Microsoft Windows 7 for the verification and attendance marking of candidates for the UTME. The Verification system according to him was also
developed using Microsoft tools.
The project was executed under the Public-Private-Project Implementation model so JAMB did not have to lay out the huge investment to implement the UTME e-Registration immediately. In addition to the value provided by this project, JAMB did not have to increase the examination fees.
Commending Sidmach Technologies on the successful implementation of this project, Adefolu Majekodunmi, Channel Services Director, Microsoft Nigeria said, “We are pleased with the progress being made by our partners in ensuring technology penetration in the country. Microsoft will continue to give support through resource solutions especially for public sector capacity building.”
In his own contribution, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, Registrar/CEO of JAMB noted that “If registration was done by someone different from the actual candidate for the examination, the data capturing machine would reject the candidate on the examination day because of the biometric difference.” This was another unique value added service, as it curbed examination malpractice.
Expressing satisfaction with the biometric verification, Chief Johnson Barovbe, Director of Westminster College said, “There was much improvement in the conduct of the examination this year as the system put fear into candidates and they became very cautious. This in turn added to the peaceful conduct of the examination.”
Overall, there has been a significant turnaround time with examination results released in less than one week. Analysts believe that this new technology will further grow the success being made by JAMB in the conduct of malpractice-free examinations in recent times.