The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has temporarily suspended the selection of examination towns for candidates registering for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Ekiti State.
The development was confirmed in a statement by Fabian Benjamin, Ph.D., JP, JAMB’s Public Affairs Director.
The suspension comes ahead of the exams scheduled to take place from Thursday, April 16, to Saturday, April 25, 2026.
What they are saying
JAMB explained that the suspension is meant to restructure examination towns to bring them closer to candidates and reduce transportation challenges.
“Candidates are allowed to select examination towns of their choice, particularly those closest to their locations.”
“The 2026 UTME registration commenced before the Board detected certain structural anomalies in the configuration of examination towns in the state, necessitating urgent adjustments in the interest of candidates.”
“This suspension has become necessary to enable the Board to restructure the examination towns to ensure closer proximity to candidates, thereby easing transportation challenges on examination days when centres are assigned.”
The Board further stated that candidates will not be able to select any town in Ekiti State until the adjustment process is completed, although registration continues, and apologized for any inconvenience caused.
Get up to speed
The 2025 UTME faced public complaints over alleged postings of candidates to distant CBT centres, creating logistical and financial difficulties for students and parents.
- Some students in Cross River State claimed they were posted to centres in Akwa Ibom or local government areas like Obudu, two to five hours from Calabar.
- Reports indicated students had to depart early or pay additional travel and lodging costs to reach their exams.
- JAMB denied that candidates were posted outside their chosen towns, offering financial rewards for proof of such occurrences.
- The Board emphasised that postings remain within selected towns and encouraged candidates and parents to verify information before drawing conclusions.
What you should know
In preparation for this year’s UTME, JAMB has approved 848 CBT centres nationwide to ensure compliance with technical and operational standards.
- Prospective candidates are urged to complete their JAMB profiles and confirm accurate National Identification Number (NIN) details before registration.
- The Board has implemented a “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME” clause, requiring live monitoring of all CBT centres from its Abuja headquarters.
- Centres whose registration activities cannot be viewed in real time may have registrations invalidated and will not be paid.
- These measures are aimed at preventing manipulation of candidate images and registration data, a challenge noted during the 2025 registration exercise.
