The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has registered more than 1.5 million candidates for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as the registration exercise approaches its closing date of 26 February 2026.
JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja that the vending of e-PINs for the examination will end at midnight on Thursday, 26 February.
He explained that the e-PIN enables candidates to proceed to accredited centres to complete their registration.
The Board clarified that while the sale of e-PINs will close on that date, actual registration for candidates who have already obtained their e-PINs will continue until Saturday, 28 February 2026.
According to JAMB, as of 17 February, over 1.5 million candidates had successfully registered.
Despite a daily registration capacity of 100,000 candidates nationwide, the Board noted that centres are currently operating at below 30 per cent of their capacity, raising concerns that many prospective candidates have yet to take advantage of the exercise.
JAMB stressed that there will be no extension of the registration deadline, noting that its schedule aligns with a nationally coordinated examination calendar involving other examination bodies.
It therefore urged intending candidates to obtain their e-PINs before the vending deadline and complete their registration promptly at accredited centres.
The Board warned that last-minute registration attempts could lead to avoidable challenges and reiterated that appeals for deadline extension would not be considered after the closing date, urging all candidates to act without delay.
