Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has criticised the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for banning several CBT centres across Nigeria, warning that administrative failures should not put students’ futures at risk.
The remarks were contained in a statement released on his X account, highlighting the urgent need for the examination board to implement effective interventions to ensure students can complete registration on time.
This comes as registration for the 2026 UTME approaches its final deadline on 26th and examinations to be held nationwide from April 16 to April 25, 2026.
What he said
In his statement, Obi highlighted that several CBT centres were prohibited last year over alleged infractions, and he noted that, despite promises of corrective action, many states continue to face a shortage of functional centres.
He noted that upon visiting the Amawbia, Anambra State centre recently, he encountered the same crowd and confusion, and was informed that similar problems persist in other states across the country.
He stressed that while authorities may have valid reasons for sanctioning centres, a more balanced and humane approach is possible.
- “Centres under investigation could be allowed to continue offering limited services under strict monitoring to prevent further lapses. If it is difficult to approve new centres quickly, the authorities could still make temporary use of previously approved centres under close supervision to ease the pressure on state offices,”he said
Obi also warned that with registration ending on the 26th, the consequences could have broader implications on the examination.
- “If nothing urgent is done, some will miss the examination, not for lack of preparation, but because the system failed them.
- “What is required now is not blame, but swift and compassionate intervention to ensure that no young person’s future is jeopardised by avoidable administrative bottlenecks,”he added
Backstory
Concerns over JAMB’s management of CBT centres first drew criticism over examination logistical challenges and the inconvenience faced by 2025 UTME candidates, including situations where students had to travel long distances from their local areas to sit for exams, majorly over shortage of functional centres.
After the 2025 exams, the board identified multiple cases of malpractice and fraud resulting in multiple centres being closed due to alleged infractions.
These included identity and biometric fraud, as well as 244 instances of candidates engaging in so-called “WhatsApp runs” to access leaked questions, with some centres allegedly colluding in these infractions.
The board began rolling out a series of penalties against these centers including 11 CBT centres and their operators implicated in fingerprint fraud during the 2025 UTME registration. Some registrants were advised to write letters of apology and sign bonds promising future compliance, while others faced proposed three‑year bans from participating in JAMB activities if they registered more than 50 compromised candidates
The Board also delisted four CBT centres and arrested 27 impersonators during the 2025 UTME in Abuja for failing to meet technical standards and engaging in fraud.
What you should know
For the 2026 UTME, JAMB disclosed that as of February 17, 2026, more than 1.5 million candidates had successfully registered.
Despite a daily registration capacity of 100,000 candidates, centres nationwide are operating at roughly 30% capacity, indicating that many prospective candidates have yet to complete registration.
The Board also stressed that there will be no extension of the registration deadline, as the UTME schedule is part of a nationally coordinated examination calendar agreed upon by all examination bodies in Nigeria.
In a separate compliance measure ahead of the 2026 registration cycle, JAMB mandated the use of Microsoft Camera systems at accredited CBT centres to strengthen identity verification and curb impersonation and image-blending malpractice observed during previous examinations.
Time has come for this Jamb to be scrapped entirely… why do we have to keep endangering the lives of our students in an exam there’s a better ways of going about it. I think students should be able to apply to any institutions of their choice directly without going through Jamb