Overview

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially opened registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) while announcing the discontinuation of special registration arrangements previously granted to candidates with albinism. The Board explained that the policy change follows the discovery of widespread misuse of the concession during past registration exercises.

Decision Reached at National Stakeholders’ Meeting

The announcement was made after a strategic meeting held in Ikeja, Lagos, where JAMB management, led by the Registrar, Professor Isaq Oloyede, engaged Commissioners for Education from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The session focused on reviewing past examination processes and strengthening safeguards against malpractice.

Reason for Ending Albinism Concession

According to the Registrar, some individuals exploited the former policy by falsely claiming albinism to benefit from special registration procedures.

He revealed that over 7,000 applicants identified themselves as albino candidates during the previous registration cycle, prompting an internal review that led to the policy’s withdrawal.

JAMB stated that standard registration processes will now apply to all candidates, regardless of physical condition, to ensure fairness and system integrity.

Advisory to Faith-Based Institutions

JAMB also addressed concerns raised by students in private universities affiliated with religious organizations. The Board urged such institutions to clearly declare their religious identity during the application stage rather than presenting themselves as secular and introducing faith-based rules after students have been admitted.

The Registrar emphasized that transparency allows applicants to make informed choices and prevents disputes after admission.

Warning to Undergraduate Candidates Writing UTME Again

The Board issued a stern caution to students already enrolled in tertiary institutions who sit for UTME without disclosing their current academic status.

JAMB explained that while some candidates reapply to change academic programs, others misuse the process by attempting to secure admission on behalf of different individuals.

Moving forward, any undergraduate who fails to declare their enrollment status and is found to have written the examination dishonestly risks both disqualification and forfeiture of their existing admission.

National Admission Policy Breakdown

JAMB reaffirmed the standard admission framework for federal institutions, which includes:

• 45% Merit-based selection
  
• 20% Catchment area consideration
  
• 20% Educationally disadvantaged states
  
• 15% Institutional discretion
  

State-owned institutions were encouraged to allocate at least 10% of their slots strictly on merit to promote academic diversity and national integration.

Policy on Underage Applicants

The Board maintained that 16 years remains the official minimum admission age. However, underage candidates may be considered if they achieve a minimum of 80% performance in both UTME and post-UTME screening.

JAMB disclosed that although over 42,000 candidates claimed to be underage in the previous cycle, only 78 met the academic and assessment requirements for admission.

Strengthening Examination Security

To curb malpractice, JAMB introduced new measures, including:

• Prohibiting the transfer of computers between CBT centres
  
• Tightened accreditation standards for test centres
  
• Monitoring of agreements between state governments and private CBT operators
  

These steps aim to prevent the use of borrowed or unauthorized equipment during accreditation and examinations.

Candidate Placement and Data Accuracy

JAMB clarified that candidates are only assigned to examination towns they personally selected during registration. The Board also stated that personal data, including names and state of origin, are generated directly from candidates’ National Identification Number (NIN) records and are not altered by JAMB.

UTME Admission Statistics and Institutional Support

An update from the Board revealed that approximately 974,855 candidates have secured admission out of nearly 1.95 million UTME participants from the previous year.

Additionally, JAMB disclosed that over ₦2.4 billion has been distributed in incentives over the past decade to institutions recognized for compliance with examination standards.

Accreditation of CBT Centres

JAMB noted that the evaluation of CBT centres is conducted by multi-level inspection teams comprising vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and education officials within each state.

State governments were advised to avoid partnerships that could compromise the credibility of these centres or enable examination fraud.

Final Note from the Board

JAMB concluded by calling on parents, institutions, and candidates to uphold ethical standards throughout the admission process, stressing that transparency and cooperation remain vital to protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s examination system.