With the February 26 deadline for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) sale of e-PIN fast approaching, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that more than 1.5 million candidates have successfully completed their registration.
The Board made it clear that the deadline will not be extended. It expressed concern that although it has the capacity to register up to 100,000 candidates daily, accredited centres across the country are currently operating at only about 30 per cent of that capacity.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Public Communication Advisor of the examination body, Dr Fabian Benjamin, candidates were advised to secure their e-PINs before the vending deadline and promptly visit accredited centres to finalise their registration.
The statement explained that the sale of e-PINs, which enables a candidate to proceed to a Centre for registration, will end at 12:00 midnight on Thursday, 26th February, 2026. However, actual registration at accredited centres for candidates who have already obtained their PIN will close on 28th February, 2026.
“The Board wishes to clearly state that there will be no extension of the registration deadline. JAMB operates within a nationally coordinated examination calendar agreed upon by all examination bodies in Nigeria.
“The Board’s registration window is strategically scheduled to allow other examination bodies to conduct their own exercises immediately afterward. Consequently, there is no available window for any extension, even if the Board were inclined to consider one.
“Candidates are therefore strongly advised to obtain their e-PINs before the vending deadline and proceed immediately to accredited centres to complete their registration. Waiting until the last few days may result in avoidable challenges, and the Board will not entertain any appeals for extension after the deadline,” the statement read.
The JAMB spokesperson added that the Board is acting proactively to ensure that no candidate who genuinely intends to sit for the 2026 UTME is excluded due to procrastination or inaction.
The Guardian reports that this year’s UTME is scheduled to hold from April 16 to 25.
