The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will run from January 26 to February 28 at approved Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide.
Speaking at a meeting with Commissioners for Education in Lagos, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, explained that the sale of application documents (ePINs) would begin before the registration period.
“The sale of UTME application documents will start from January 19 to February 26, while actual registration will take place between January 26 and February 28,” he said.
Candidates who wish to take part in the mock examination must complete their selection by February 16, while the sale of Direct Entry (DE) application documents and ePINs will run from March 2 to April 25.
Monitoring and Centre Accreditation
Prof. Oloyede disclosed that 924 CBT centres have been provisionally approved but will undergo final testing before full accreditation. He added that all centres will be supervised live from JAMB headquarters.
“Centres that fail to provide live access risk having their registrations invalidated and will not be paid,” he warned.
The Registrar stressed that candidates are not required to pay any service charges at CBT centres, noting that only official registration fees approved by JAMB should be paid.
On examination postings, he clarified that candidates will only be posted to towns they selected during registration, though they may be assigned to any town within their chosen group. He advised early registration to avoid limited options.
Age and Eligibility Requirements
Prof. Oloyede said only candidates who will be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are generally eligible for admission.
Underage candidates may be considered for waivers if they pass a rigorous evaluation and score at least 80% in UTME/A’LEVEL, PUTME, SSCE, and the exceptional candidate assessment.
He also warned candidates to honestly declare any previous registration or admission history, stressing that running more than one undergraduate programme at the same time is a criminal offence.
Remita Simplifies ePIN Access
As registration opens, Remita has stepped in to simplify how candidates access their JAMB ePINs. The payments platform is making the process more intuitive, reliable, and inclusive.
Remita’s Executive Director, Business Development, Abayomi Oniku, said: “Education is the greatest investment in Nigeria’s tomorrow, and Remita will continue to ensure that payments are a bridge – never a barrier – to opportunity.”
Remita’s Head of Digital Assets and Partnerships, Alisa Chinedu, added: “This year, we are making the JAMB ePIN experience more intuitive and more human – through our AI assistant and stronger partnerships with trusted institutions and stakeholders that guide students toward a prosperous future.”
Remita is also empowering schools, training institutions, and other organisations that support large groups of candidates to seamlessly process ePINs within their environments. This initiative aims to eliminate operational stress and protect candidates from exploitation.
Through its enhanced website and mobile app, parents and candidates can pay for JAMB services directly, maintain full visibility of their transaction records, obtain original receipts, and earn rewards on every payment made.
Remita’s initiatives reflect its continued commitment to financial inclusion, digital access, and greater economic participation across Nigeria’s evolving payments ecosystem.
Rate, Like 👍, Comment 💬, Share this article, Follow us on our social media handles, and Submit your own story to get featured and earn rewards!
WhatsApp Channel
Telegram Channel
