2.2m candidates sit for 2026 UTME nationwide

The 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 centres.

The examination, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), will run from April 16 to April 22 in multiple sessions scheduled daily.

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.

Oloyede gave the charge during a virtual final briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination.

He commended staff, ad hoc personnel, service providers and technical advisers for their contributions to the successful conduct of the mock examination.

According to him, most challenges recorded during the mock exercise were linked to inadequate assessment of centres by some technical officials.

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.

He reiterated JAMB’s zero-tolerance policy on examination malpractice and warned candidates against bringing prohibited items into examination halls.

According to him, advanced technology, including biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems, has been deployed to safeguard the credibility of the examination.

The registrar also disclosed that candidates whose biometric details could not be verified would be rescheduled to sit the examination at designated centres approved by the board.

Our correspondent reports that the UTME remains one of Nigeria’s largest coordinated educational exercises, involving extensive logistics, technology deployment and personnel coordination nationwide.

Each examination day is divided into four sessions to reduce congestion at Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and enhance biometric verification processes.

For the 2026 UTME, about 966 CBT centres are participating, each required to meet operational standards, including functional computer systems, stable connectivity and trained personnel.

Our correspondent who monitored one of the centres 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.