JAMB Urges Candidates to Verify NIN Details Before Profile Creation-Are you gearing up for the next Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination or planning to secure your university admission through Direct Entry? If so, you need to pause whatever you are doing and pay close attention. Recently, JAMB urges candidates to verify NIN details before profile creation, and this is not just a casual piece of advice. It is a strict directive that could mean the difference between a smooth admission process and a complete academic nightmare.

For years, students have rushed into registering for their exams, eager to get the process out of the way. But the landscape of educational registration in Nigeria has changed dramatically. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has completely integrated its systems with the National Identity Management Commission. This means your National Identification Number is the absolute foundation of your JAMB profile. If there is a single misspelled letter in your name, a flipped digit in your date of birth, or an incorrect state of origin on your NIN, that error will automatically mirror onto your JAMB profile. And once it is there, getting it out is like trying to un-bake a cake.

In this massive, comprehensive guide, we are going deep into everything you need to know about this directive. We will explore exactly why JAMB has taken this rigid stance, how you can verify and correct your details, the global legal philosophies behind identity verification, and the massive domino effect that errors can have on your academic future. Grab a seat, because we are going to break down every single detail you need to secure your academic journey.

Understanding the New JAMB Directive on NIN Verification

The recent advisory released by JAMB is part of an ongoing effort to sanitize the admission process and ensure absolute data integrity. But what exactly does this directive entail, and why is it causing such a massive wave of panic and preparation among candidates, parents, and secondary schools nationwide?

The Core Announcement: What UTME and DE Candidates Must Know

During its widely circulated “JAMB Explained” series, the board issued a glaring warning: do not even think about generating a profile code or paying for an e-PIN until you have double-checked the data tied to your NIN. JAMB specifically urged prospective candidates to carefully review the exact spelling and arrangement of their first name, middle name, and surname. Furthermore, candidates must verify their exact date of birth, gender, and state of origin.

Why the sudden urgency? Because the moment you send that SMS to generate your JAMB profile code, the board’s system connects to the NIMC database via an Application Programming Interface. It pulls your data exactly as it appears in the national database. If your name is “Emmanuel” but NIMC recorded it as “Emanuel,” your official JAMB name becomes “Emanuel.” You cannot edit this at the Computer Based Test center. The CBT attendants have zero power to change the data that the system pulls. You are stuck with it unless you go through a grueling correction process.

Why the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Relies Exclusively on NIMC

To understand this, we need to take a quick walk down memory lane. Decades ago, exam malpractice in Nigeria was highly physical. “Mercenaries” or impersonators would register for the exam on behalf of weaker students. A 30-year-old university graduate could easily fill out a paper form, stick their passport photograph on it, and sit for the exam under the name of a 16-year-old candidate.

As technology evolved, JAMB introduced biometric capturing to curb this. But even with thumbprints, people found loopholes. They would create multiple profiles to take the exam several times in one year. To shut down every possible avenue of identity fraud, the government mandated the linkage of JAMB registration to the National Identification Number.

NIMC is the central repository of identity in Nigeria. By outsourcing identity verification to NIMC, JAMB effectively washed its hands of identity management. They are no longer in the business of verifying who you are; they just test your academic readiness. NIMC tells JAMB who you are. This reliance ensures a unified database where your identity is tracked from birth, through your educational journey, into your banking life, and eventually your professional career.

The Danger of “Minor” Mistakes in Identity Records

You might look at your NIN slip and think, “Oh, they put my date of birth as 2004 instead of 2005. It’s just a one-year difference, no big deal.” This is a catastrophic mindset. In the eyes of institutional databases, there are no minor mistakes. A discrepancy in your date of birth is a fundamental clash of reality. It tells the system that the person holding the JAMB result is not the same person holding the birth certificate or the secondary school testimonial.

These “minor” mistakes can lead to major disqualifications. If your names are arranged as “John Doe Smith” on your O’Level results but “Doe John Smith” on your NIN and JAMB profile, universities will flag it during clearance. They will assume two different people are involved. This is why JAMB urges candidates to verify NIN details before profile creation—to save you from being treated as a fraudster simply because of a typographical error made by an enrollment officer years ago.

The Mechanics of National Identity: How Your NIN Connects to JAMB

Let’s look under the hood of the technology that powers your registration. Understanding the mechanics of how these two giant databases communicate will help you appreciate why you cannot just bypass the rules.

The History of Identity Fraud in Nigerian Examinations

For a long time, the Nigerian educational sector battled ghosts. Ghost students, ghost candidates, and ghost graduates. The entire system was porous. A candidate could fail JAMB with their real name, and the next year, tweak their middle name slightly to register again. This created massive redundancies in the board’s database. The implementation of the NIN requirement was a surgical strike against this chaos. Your NIN is tied to your fingerprints, facial geometry, and irises. You can only have one NIN. If you try to register for another NIN, the system flags you as a duplicate. Thus, by locking JAMB registration to this unique identifier, the board eliminated multiple registrations overnight.

Data Synchronization Between NIMC and Educational Bodies

When you text your NIN to 55019 or 66019, your telecom provider sends that request to JAMB’s servers. JAMB’s servers then ping the NIMC database with a query: “Does this NIN exist, and if so, who does it belong to?”

NIMC’s servers authenticate the request and send back a digital packet containing your biodata. This synchronization happens in milliseconds. If the data sent back by NIMC contains errors, JAMB’s system blindly accepts those errors and creates your profile based on them. JAMB’s database is essentially a mirror reflecting whatever NIMC shows it. If the original object is flawed, the reflection will be flawed.

Why You Cannot Edit Details Directly on the JAMB Portal

Many students stubbornly believe they can just fix their errors during registration at the CBT center. They walk in, see their misspelled name on the screen, and ask the operator to backspace and correct it. The operator cannot do this because the text fields for your core biodata are grayed out—they are strictly read-only.

Allowing CBT centers to edit this data would defeat the entire purpose of the NIN integration. If a CBT operator could change a date of birth from 2002 to 2005, it would reopen the door for the very identity manipulation the board has fought so hard to destroy. The integrity of the system relies on the fact that NIMC is the sole author of your identity data.

The Illusion of the Affidavit: Why Legal Documents Won’t Save You

One of the most profound warnings in the recent JAMB advisory was regarding the use of sworn court affidavits. In Nigeria, there is a cultural over-reliance on affidavits. People believe that if a judge or a Commissioner for Oaths stamps a piece of paper, reality itself shifts to accommodate it. In the digital age, this is nothing but an illusion.

Debunking the Affidavit Myth in Nigerian Education

For decades, if your name was spelled wrong on a document, you would simply go to a High Court, pay a small fee, and swear an affidavit stating that “John” and “Jon” refer to the same person. You would then staple this affidavit to your documents and proceed with your clearance.

JAMB has firmly stated that this era is over. The board specifically warned candidates who notice inaccuracies in their records against assuming that an affidavit would automatically resolve the problem on the JAMB platform. The quote is clear: “Getting an affidavit won’t automatically make JAMB update your record.”

Why? Because an algorithm cannot read an affidavit. A computer database that runs on binary code and strict API rules does not care about a stamped paper from a local court. The system requires digital rectification. A paper affidavit does not change the data stored on NIMC’s servers. Therefore, when JAMB checks your records, it still sees the error, regardless of how many affidavits you wave in front of the CBT operator.

The Proper Channels for Correcting NIMC Records

If an affidavit will not work, what will? The only acceptable method is to attack the problem at the root. You must go to NIMC and officially request a modification of your data. This is a bureaucratic process that requires specific supporting documents. If you want to change your date of birth, NIMC requires a genuine birth certificate from the National Population Commission or an attestation from the hospital of birth, and it involves a fee payable via Remita. If you need a name correction, you might need a newspaper publication alongside other legal documents.

Once NIMC updates your data on their central server, only then will JAMB be able to pull the correct, updated information. This is why you must verify before you create the profile. If you create the profile first, you force a flawed identity into the JAMB system, complicating the correction process immensely.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Verify and Fix Your NIN Details

Knowing that you need to verify your details is one thing. Knowing exactly how to do it efficiently is another. The process can be tedious, but following these steps will save you from future heartache.

Pre-Verification Checklist: What to Look Out For

Before you interact with any digital platform, lay out all your core documents on a table. You need your Birth Certificate, your Primary School Leaving Certificate, your Secondary School Testimonial, and your WAEC/NECO results (if you have them).

Look at these documents closely.

• Are your names arranged in the exact same order? (Surname first, or first name first).
• Is the spelling absolutely identical across the board? (e.g., ‘Stephen’ vs ‘Steven’, or ‘Oluwaseun’ vs ‘Seun’).
• Does the date of birth match perfectly on every single document?
• Is your state of origin and local government area consistent?

Once you have established your true, documented identity, you are ready to compare it against what NIMC holds.

How to View Your Current NIMC Data Easily

You do not necessarily need to visit a NIMC office just to check your details. NIMC has provided digital avenues to view your profile. The most reliable method is downloading the NIMC MWS Mobile ID app, available on both Android and iOS devices.

After downloading the app, you will input your 11-digit NIN and the phone number you used during your initial enrollment. Once you are logged in, navigate to the “Show My ID” section. You can toggle between Basic ID and Full ID. This digital card will display your photo, full name, date of birth, and other vital statistics. Scrutinize this screen. Compare the data here against the physical documents you laid out earlier. If everything matches perfectly, congratulations, you can proceed to create your JAMB profile. If there is a discrepancy, you must hit the brakes immediately.

Visiting the NIMC Office: The Data Modification Process

If you find an error, do not panic, but act swiftly. You will need to visit a major NIMC office. It is highly recommended to visit a direct NIMC office rather than third-party proxy enrollment centers, as major modifications often require higher administrative clearance.

Here is what the process generally looks like:

1. Identify the Error: Determine exactly what needs changing (Name, DOB, or Phone Number).
2. Gather Evidence: If it’s a name correction, bring a newspaper publication of name change and an affidavit (ironically, you need an affidavit for NIMC to change the data, but JAMB won’t accept the affidavit directly). If it’s a DOB correction, bring your NPC birth certificate.
3. Generate a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR): Payment for data modification is strictly through the federal government’s Remita platform. Depending on what you are changing, the fee varies. Date of birth correction is usually the most expensive.
4. Fill the Modification Form: Submit your RRR receipt and filled form to the NIMC officer.
5. Biometric Recapture: The officer will capture your fingerprints again to authorize the change on your profile.

Wait Times and Synchronization: Patience Before Profile Creation

This is where many candidates fail. After completing the modification at the NIMC office, they step outside and immediately send the SMS to JAMB to generate their profile code. Predictably, the old, incorrect data is pulled.

Why? Because NIMC’s servers take time to synchronize globally. When an officer updates your data at a local branch, it goes into a queue to be updated on the central server. This synchronization can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. You must wait patiently. After two or three days, log back into the NIMC Mobile App to confirm that the new details are reflecting. Only when you see the correct details on the app should you proceed to text JAMB for your profile code.

Legal Philosophy and the Architecture of Identity Validation

At this point, you might feel frustrated. You might think, “Why is the government making things so difficult? Why can’t they just trust me?” To truly grasp the gravity of this situation, we need to step back and look at the legal philosophy behind identity validation.

The Philosophy of True Identity in the Digital Age

Historically, identity was communal. You were who your village said you were. In modern, highly populated societies, communal identity is impossible. We rely on the epistemology of records—we know who you are based on what the database says. In a digital society, your biological self and your digital self must perfectly align. When there is a mismatch, the digital system defaults to assuming fraud, not honest mistake.

This philosophy is built on the concept of the social contract. By participating in federal systems like JAMB, you agree to abide by the state’s definition of your identity. The state has chosen NIMC as the ultimate arbiter of truth. Therefore, legally speaking, if your NIN says you were born in 2005, then as far as the Federal Republic of Nigeria is concerned, you were born in 2005. Arguing against this with an external document is an argument against the state’s recognized truth.

Institutional Integrity vs. Individual Convenience

Institutions do not bend to individual convenience. If JAMB were to allow candidates to alter their NIMC data on the fly just to make registration faster, the entire integrity of the institution would collapse. A certificate from a university is only as valuable as the trust society places in that university’s vetting process. If the vetting process at the very beginning (JAMB) is compromised by lax identity rules, the final product (the graduate) becomes questionable. The strictness is a feature, not a bug. It protects the value of your future degree.

Notable Cases of Identity and Legal Scrutiny: Lessons from the Global Stage

You might be wondering, what do high-profile international legal cases have to do with your UTME registration? Everything. When you look at the fundamental principles of legal scrutiny, documented truth, and institutional consequences, you see that no one is above the rigid demands of accurate documentation. Let’s look at how global figures have fared when institutional truth is challenged.

The Unforgiving Nature of Legal Records: Harvey Weinstein’s Court Battles

Consider the intense, grueling legal scrutiny seen in the trials of Harvey Weinstein. Regardless of one’s personal opinions on the matter, the entire architecture of the prosecution and the defense relied on absolute precision. The legal system did not rely on vague memories; it demanded verifiable timelines, exact dates, documented interactions, and institutional records (like flight logs and hotel receipts). A single discrepancy in a timeline could shift a legal outcome dramatically.

When institutional truth is established in a courtroom, only what can be verified by a system stands. The court does not accept an “affidavit” of a feeling; it demands the hard data. While a JAMB registration is obviously not a criminal trial, the philosophy of evidence is identical. The system (JAMB) demands indisputable evidence of who you are. Your NIMC database record is the only “testimony” the system will accept. If your personal claims conflict with that database, you lose the argument instantly.

Rudy Giuliani and the Consequences of Misrepresentation

Similarly, look at the legal fallout surrounding Rudy Giuliani in recent years. A man who was once universally revered faced disbarment proceedings, massive defamation lawsuits, and public ruin. Why? Because he made claims and presented narratives that directly contradicted established, verified institutional records. In the eyes of the law, the courts, and election systems, your word means absolutely nothing if the verified records say otherwise. When you submit false data or try to forcefully circumvent institutional systems, the legal backlash is severe.

Giuliani’s situation is a massive cautionary tale about misrepresentation. When an individual attempts to override an institution’s verified data with their own preferred version of reality, the institution pushes back with devastating force.

Applying Global Legal Lessons to Your JAMB Registration

How does this connect to an 18-year-old student in Nigeria? It serves as a stark reminder: institutions do not forgive falsified or conflicting records. Trying to force an incorrect date of birth through the JAMB portal, hoping nobody will notice, or relying on a worthless piece of paper to cover up a digital mismatch, is a micro-version of this global conflict.

When you falsify or ignore the errors on your NIMC data, you are essentially committing a form of digital perjury. You are misrepresenting yourself to a federal body. If the global legal system can relentlessly pursue high-profile figures for misrepresenting facts, rest assured that a university clearance board will have zero hesitation in revoking your admission if your records do not align. The truth is found in the database. Fix the database, and you fix your reality.

The Domino Effect of Profile Errors on Your Academic Future

Let us trace the trajectory of a candidate who ignores this advice. Suppose you decide not to verify your NIN details. Your name is misspelled on your NIN, but you go ahead and generate your profile code anyway. What happens next? The consequences are a terrifying domino effect that can ruin years of hard work.

Admission Denials and Institutional Clearance Hurdles

You study hard and score a massive 290 in your UTME. You ace your Post-UTME. The university offers you admission to study Medicine and Surgery. You are ecstatic. You print your JAMB admission letter and head to the university for physical clearance.

At the clearance desk, the screening officer looks at your WAEC result, which says “Okonkwo David.” Then they look at your JAMB admission letter, which, pulling from NIMC, says “Okonkwo Daivd” (a typo in the spelling). The officer hands the documents back to you and says, “These belong to two different people. Go and rectify it.”

Suddenly, your admission is put on hold. While your peers are attending matriculation and starting lectures, you are running between the JAMB office and NIMC, spending hundreds of thousands of naira on data modification, trying to fix a mistake that could have been avoided by a simple check months ago. If the deadline for clearance passes, you lose the admission entirely.

The NYSC Mobilization Nightmare

Let’s assume the university is lenient, and you somehow manage to slip through clearance. You spend four or five years in the university, pass all your exams, and graduate. Now it’s time to be mobilized for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The NYSC portal is directly linked to the JAMB matriculation list. When the university sends your name to NYSC, the NYSC system cross-references it with your original JAMB profile. If there is a date of birth discrepancy, you will be flagged. Thousands of graduates are stranded at home every year, unable to go for service, because the date of birth on their JAMB portal contradicts the date of birth their university submitted. At this stage, fixing it is nearly impossible because your age affects your eligibility for service (you must be under 30). Ignoring the JAMB directive now could literally stop you from getting a job five years in the future.

Financial and Psychological Stress of Rectifying Errors

The financial cost of ignoring the directive is steep. Data modification at NIMC costs money. Traveling back and forth between administrative offices costs money. Sometimes, desperate candidates fall victim to scammers who promise to “hack” the system and fix their details for an exorbitant fee, only to disappear with the money.

Beyond the finances is the intense psychological toll. The anxiety of seeing “Profile Code Not Generated” or “Data Mismatch” on a screen while the registration deadline approaches is agonizing. This stress distracts candidates from what they should actually be doing: studying for the exam. JAMB urges candidates to verify NIN details before profile creation specifically to save them from this mental torture.

Media Presence and Community Impact of the JAMB Directive

When JAMB issues a directive like this, it doesn’t just affect individuals; it sends shockwaves through communities, the media, and local businesses.

Social Media Reactions to the “JAMB Explained” Series

Following the release of the advisory video on JAMB’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the internet erupted. The “JAMB Explained” series became a trending topic. Many candidates expressed frustration at NIMC’s slow modification processes, while others thanked the board for the timely warning. Social media influencers and educational bloggers went into overdrive, creating tutorials and breakdown videos. This massive media presence highlights how crucial the issue is. If a topic dominates the national digital conversation, it means it carries severe weight.

The Role of Cybercafes and CBT Centers in Ensuring Compliance

Local cybercafes and accredited CBT centers find themselves on the front lines of this directive. In previous years, operators would sometimes coerce students into ignoring errors just to speed up the registration process and make quick money. Now, reputable CBT centers are acting as gatekeepers. Before they even sell you an e-PIN, a good CBT operator will ask, “Have you checked your NIN?”

However, candidates must beware of rogue operators who claim they can bypass the NIMC verification. It is technologically impossible. Any operator promising to do this is setting you up for failure.

How Parents and Schools Can Support Candidates

Parents play a pivotal role here. Many underage candidates do not possess the bureaucratic know-how to navigate a NIMC office. Parents must take charge. Take a day off work, sit down with your teenager, review their documents, and if a trip to NIMC is required, go with them.

Secondary schools also need to step up. Principals and counselors should hold mandatory seminars for SS3 students, explaining the intricacies of identity verification. Schools must ensure that the names they use to register students for WAEC match the students’ NIN perfectly. Alignment at the secondary school level prevents chaos at the tertiary level.

Creating Your JAMB Profile Safely (Once NIN is Verified)

Alright, you have done the hard work. You checked your NIN, found no errors (or you found them and patiently fixed them). The data on the NIMC app perfectly matches your birth certificate and O’Level results. Now it is time to actually generate your JAMB profile code. How do you do this flawlessly?

Sending the Right SMS Format for Profile Generation

The method for generating a profile code has been standard for a few years, yet thousands get it wrong every day. You must use a personal GSM line. Do not use your father’s line, do not use your sister’s line. The SIM card you use becomes irrevocably tied to your JAMB profile. If you lose the SIM, you lose access to crucial JAMB communications.

Open your SMS app. Type the word NIN, leave a single space, and then type your 11-digit National Identification Number. Example: NIN 12345678901 Send this message to either 55019 or 66019.

Ensure you have at least N50 airtime on your main account balance. Do not use bonus airtime or data balances; the system charges directly from your main balance. Within a few seconds to a few minutes, you will receive a 10-character profile code. Write this code down in multiple safe places. It is your golden ticket.

Troubleshooting Common Profile Code Errors

Sometimes, technology fails. What should you do if things do not go smoothly?

• Error: “Invalid SMS Format”: You probably added extra spaces, used the word ‘NUMBER’, or didn’t leave a space between NIN and the digits. Re-read the format and try again.
• Error: “NIN already registered”: This means the phone number you are using has already been used by someone else to generate a profile code in the past, or you already used it. Get a fresh, unregistered SIM card if you are sure it wasn’t you.
• Error: “Unable to verify NIN at this time”: This is not your fault. It means the API connection between JAMB and NIMC is currently congested or experiencing downtime. Do not panic. Wait a few hours, preferably late at night or early in the morning, and try again.
• No Response at All: This often happens with certain network providers due to routing issues. If you send to 55019 and get no reply, wait a bit and try sending to the alternative number, 66019. Also, ensure your line is not set to “Do Not Disturb” (DND), which blocks automated messages.

The Biometric Capture Stage: Avoiding Fingerprint Failures

With your profile code in hand, you will proceed to buy your e-PIN and head to the CBT center for biometric capture. This is the final verification stage. The operator will ask you to place your fingers on a scanner to capture your fingerprints.

Here is a critical warning: in the weeks leading up to your registration and the exam, take extreme care of your fingertips. Avoid applying chemicals, superglue, or heavy henna (lali) on your fingers. If your fingerprints have been altered or smoothed out by rough manual labor or chemicals, the scanner will reject you. If the biometric authentication fails, you cannot complete the registration. The system relies on biometrics to confirm that the person who generated the profile code is the exact same person sitting in front of the computer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

To ensure this guide leaves absolutely no stone unturned, let us address the most pressing questions candidates and parents are asking across the nation.

How do I correct my date of birth on my NIN? To correct your date of birth, you must physically visit a NIMC office. You will need your original birth certificate from the National Population Commission (NPC) or a recognized hospital. You will be asked to generate a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) to pay the official modification fee. After payment and biometric recapture, you must wait for the data to synchronize on the national database before proceeding with JAMB registration.

Can I use an affidavit to change my JAMB details? No. This is precisely what the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board warned against in their recent advisory. An affidavit is a legal paper document, but JAMB operates on a digital API linked to NIMC. JAMB cannot and will not manually edit your profile based on an affidavit. You must use official channels to change the data at NIMC, which will then reflect on JAMB.

What happens if my JAMB name doesn’t match my NIN? Technically, this is impossible during initial registration because JAMB pulls your name directly from your NIN. However, if your NIN/JAMB name does not match your O’Level results (WAEC/NECO) or birth certificate, you will face severe problems during university clearance and NYSC mobilization. Institutions will treat you as two different people, potentially leading to the loss of your admission.

How much does it cost to correct NIMC details? The official cost varies depending on what you are correcting. Date of birth correction is generally the most expensive modification. It is advisable to visit a recognized NIMC office to get the exact, current federal rate to avoid being extorted by touts.

How long does it take for corrected NIN details to reflect on JAMB? After a successful modification at a NIMC office, it usually takes anywhere from 24 to 72 hours for the central servers to synchronize. Once the new data appears on your NIMC Mobile App, you can safely generate your JAMB profile code.

I have an awaiting result, can I still register? Yes, you can register for the UTME with an awaiting result. However, you must upload the result onto the JAMB portal via an accredited CBT center as soon as the result is released. Failure to do so means you will not be considered for admission, no matter how high your UTME score is.

Are there special provisions for candidates with disabilities? Absolutely. JAMB is committed to inclusivity. During registration, candidates can indicate their specific disability (e.g., visual impairment, physical challenges). The board provides tailored support, including specialized CBT centers and adapted testing materials, to ensure everyone has a fair chance at the examination.

Conclusion: Taking Ownership of Your Digital Identity

We have traversed the entire landscape of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s recent directive. The message is loud, clear, and uncompromising: JAMB urges candidates to verify NIN details before profile creation. This is not a suggestion; it is a foundational rule of modern educational administration in Nigeria.

Your identity is no longer just a physical concept; it is a digital reality governed by databases, API links, and strict institutional laws. A mismatch in your data is no longer a minor inconvenience to be waved away by a sympathetic clearance officer or a sworn affidavit. It is a digital roadblock that can halt your academic progression, deny you admission, and prevent your mobilization for national service.

By taking the time now to meticulously compare your NIN data with your physical documents, by enduring the temporary stress of visiting a NIMC office if corrections are needed, and by refusing to cut corners, you are securing your academic future. You are building your educational house on solid, verified rock rather than the shifting sands of mismatched data.

Take ownership of your digital identity today. Verify your details, generate your profile code safely, study hard, and walk into your examination hall with the absolute confidence that your records are pristine. Your future self—sitting proudly at your university matriculation and later in your NYSC uniform—will thank you for getting it right today.