2.2 million candidates sit for 2026 UTME nationwide

‎2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, commenced nationwide on Thursday, with more than 2.2 million candidates expected to sit for the examination across accredited centers.
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‎The examination, organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, will run from April 16 to April 22 in multiple sessions scheduled daily.
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‎The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, charged examination officials to demonstrate maximum commitment and professionalism, stressing that the success of the UTME largely depends on their performance and dedication to duty.
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‎Oloyede gave the charge during a virtual final briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination.
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‎He commended staff, ad hoc personnel, service providers and technical advisers for their contributions to the successful conduct of the mock examination.
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‎According to him, most challenges recorded during the mock exercise were linked to inadequate assessment of centers by some technical officials.
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‎Oloyede added that incentive packages would be provided for teams that demonstrate exceptional performance, including prompt handling of examination materials and timely submission of reports.
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‎He reiterated JAMB’s zero-tolerance policy on examination malpractice and warned candidates against bringing prohibited items into examination halls.
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‎According to him, advanced technology, including biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems, has been deployed to safeguard the credibility of the examination.
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‎The registrar also disclosed that candidates whose biometric details could not be verified would be rescheduled to sit the examination at designated centers approved by the board.
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‎A NAN correspondent who monitored one of the centers at Aduvie International School, Jahi, reports that the first session scheduled to commence at 8:30 a.m. started at about 8:40 a.m.
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