•JAMB insists no deadline extension

From Fred Ezeh,Abuja

TheJoint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said it has successfully registered over 1.5 million candidates as of Tuesday, February 17, at a daily registration capacity of 100,000 candidates.

JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in a statement, yesterday, frowned at the low turn-out of candidates for the registration, insisting that February 26 registration deadline is sacrosanct and there’s no provision for extension.

He said: “The sale of e-PINs, which enables a candidate to proceed to the Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centre for registration, will end at 12 midnight on Thursday, February 26, while actual registration at accredited centres for those who already procure the ePIN will cease on Saturday, February 28.

“The Board has a daily registration capacity of 100,000 candidates, yet registration centres across the country are currently operating at barely 30 percent of that capacity. This indicates that a significant number of prospective candidates are yet to take advantage of the opportunity to register.

“It wishes to clearly state that there will be no extension of the registration deadline. This is because 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 appeal(s) for extension after the deadline.

“JAMB is taking this proactive step to ensure that no candidate who genuinely desires to sit for the 2026 UTME is shut out due to delay or complacency. It’s important for all prospective candidates to act now.”