Ahead of the commencement of registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has intensified efforts to protect the integrity of its processes, placing strong emphasis on the proper use of candidates’ National Identification Numbers (NINs).
The Registrar of the Board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, sounded the caution during an interactive session with senior management as part of preparations for the sale of application forms for the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry (DE) examinations.
Details of the meeting were published in JAMB’s weekly bulletin on Monday.
Prof. Oloyede stressed that any attempt by a candidate to engage in duplicate registrations or to deploy more than one NIN for fraudulent purposes would attract stiff penalties.
He said such practices, often linked to impersonation and deliberate alteration of identity records, undermine the credibility of the examination system and would not be tolerated.
Beyond NIN-related infractions, the Registrar highlighted other prohibited acts, including impersonation, extortion, image manipulation, group enrolment, unauthorised movement of network equipment, and biometric abuses.
He specifically warned against the practice of sharing or accepting fingerprints to hasten biometric capture, describing it as a serious violation with grave consequences.
Candidates, he advised, must ensure that only their own ten fingers are captured accurately and individually at accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.
Reaffirming JAMB’s resolve to sustain a fully cashless registration regime, Prof. Oloyede explained that all third-party charges would continue to be centrally collected by the Board and disbursed weekly to relevant service providers. This, he noted, is designed to curb exploitation and enhance transparency.
As an additional accountability measure, administrators and tellers of all participating financial institutions—covering banks, microfinance outfits, and mobile money operators—have been directed to enrol their NINs with JAMB as a prerequisite for participation in the e-PIN vending process.
The Registrar also outlined the financial requirements and schedule for the 2026 exercise.
According to him, Direct Entry application forms will cost N5,700, while UTME candidates will pay N7,200 without the Mock examination and N8,700 with the Mock option.
He disclosed that UTME registration will precede Direct Entry, with profile creation and sale of UTME application documents scheduled to begin on 19 January and end on 26 February 2026. Actual UTME registration at approved CBT centres will run from 26 January to 28 February, while the deadline for Mock examination selection is 16 February 2026.
Direct Entry e-PIN sales and registration, he added, will commence on 2 March and close on 25 April 2026, with all DE registrations to be conducted exclusively at JAMB offices nationwide.
