The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has placed a temporary hold on the selection of Computer-Based Test (CBT) examination towns for candidates registering for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Ekiti State.
The decision, announced by JAMB’s Public Affairs Director, Dr Fabian Benjamin, comes just weeks before the nationwide examination window scheduled to run from April 16 to April 25, 2026.
According to the Board, the pause is not a cancellation but a short-term measure designed to reorganise how examination towns are structured within the state. JAMB explained that the registration process began before it discovered inconsistencies in the current town configuration, prompting the need for urgent adjustments.
Officials said the goal is to ensure that candidates are eventually assigned to centres closer to where they live, reducing the cost, stress, and travel time associated with sitting the UTME.
While the adjustment exercise is ongoing, candidates registering from Ekiti State will be unable to choose any examination town within the state. However, JAMB confirmed that UTME registration itself remains open, and affected candidates have been advised to proceed with other aspects of their registration. The Board also issued an apology for any inconvenience caused.
The move follows widespread public criticism during the 2025 UTME, when candidates in several states complained about being posted to CBT centres far from their locations. In some instances, students alleged they had to travel for hours or even across state lines incurring additional transport and accommodation costs.
JAMB had previously dismissed claims that candidates were posted outside their selected towns, insisting that its system operates strictly within chosen locations. The Board even challenged critics to provide verifiable evidence, offering financial incentives for confirmed cases of wrongful postings.
As part of tighter preparations for the 2026 exercise, JAMB has approved 848 CBT centres across Nigeria, all of which must meet strict technical and operational requirements. The Board has also reinforced its policy that every registration centre must be monitored live from its headquarters in Abuja.
Under the rule popularly described as “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME,” any CBT centre whose activities cannot be viewed in real time risks having registrations cancelled and payments withheld. JAMB says this step is aimed at curbing image manipulation and data irregularities observed during the previous registration cycle.
Prospective candidates are also reminded to complete their JAMB profiles early and ensure their National Identification Number (NIN) details are accurate before attempting registration.
For more updates on UTME, WAEC, NECO and Nigeria’s education sector, visit AfriGlobal News – Education.
Official guidelines and updates from the examination body are available on the JAMB website.
