Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the government agency responsible for organising university entrance examinations, has warned that registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will end in 17 days, with no room for an extension.
The Board said the registration exercise will officially close on Thursday, February 26, 2026, urging prospective candidates to complete the process without delay.
JAMB stressed that the deadline is final and will not be shifted under any circumstances.
In its weekly bulletin released on Monday, JAMB expressed concern over what it described as a low turnout at many accredited registration centres across the country, despite the registration window having been open for several weeks.
According to the examination body, the persistent habit of candidates delaying registration until the final days and then lobbying for an extension will not be tolerated this year.
“This recurring pattern, where candidates deliberately wait until the last minute and subsequently agitate for an extension, will not be entertained,” JAMB stated.
The Board also accused examination cheats and individuals presenting themselves as tutorial centre operators of deliberately misleading candidates to postpone their registration.
JAMB said such advice is often designed to force an extension of the registration window, allowing candidates to move in large numbers to centres, a situation it said encourages examination malpractice.
“JAMB is fully aware of these deliberate tactics and has factored them into its planning. There will be no extension of the registration period,” the Board said, adding that the warning was issued to protect genuine and law-abiding candidates.
Okay News reports that the 2026 UTME registration commenced on Monday, January 26, 2026, and was clearly scheduled to run for five weeks, a timeline the Board said remains unchanged.
JAMB disclosed that about one million candidates have already indicated interest in sitting the examination, while many others have purchased their electronic personal identification numbers (ePINs) and are expected to complete their registration promptly.
The Board further explained that extending the registration period would be impractical, noting that its activities are closely coordinated with the schedules of other national examination bodies.
“Any extension would disrupt this coordinated schedule and encroach on timelines already allocated to other national examinations,” JAMB noted.
The agency therefore advised candidates to register early, avoid last-minute rushes, and disregard any claims suggesting that the registration deadline would be extended.
