Chidimma Uchegbu -Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has informed Nigerians, particularly parents, guardians, and prospective candidates, that the Board has not increased the cost of its application documents, whether for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) or Direct Entry (DE), in the last nine years.
Rather, the Board has reduced the registration fee for prospective candidates within the nine years of the existence of the current administration.
In its weekly bulletin on Monday, the Board assured the public that it is unlikely to increase the cost of application documents for the 2026 UTME/DE exercise, except where it becomes absolutely expedient to do so in the overriding interest of sustaining the integrity and quality of the examination process in the future.
“This position is in line with the continued directive of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, conveyed through the Honourable Minister of Education, that the activities of the Board must at all times be guided by the present administration’s human-face policies, with due consideration for the prevailing economic realities faced by Nigerian families.
“This clarification is provided to properly guide members of the public who wish to plan ahead for the education of their children, as the cost implication for the 2026 exercise remains largely the same as that of the previous year.
“Parents and guardians are therefore advised to make early arrangements and ensure timely registration of their wards, as the Board wishes to reiterate that there will be no extension of the registration period once registration commences.
“Despite this downward review of fees, the Board has continued to operate efficiently and prudently, resulting in substantial remittances to the Federal Government over the years. This underscores JAMB’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and effective public-sector financial management.
“JAMB remains committed to fairness, transparency, and affordability while sustaining global best practices in the conduct of its examinations,” the Board stated.
Furthermore, JAMB informed all candidates desirous of registering for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry(DE) that they should proceed to create their JAMB profiles if they have not already done so.
“Candidates are strongly advised to first verify that their National Identification Number (NIN) details are accurate and correctly captured before initiating profile creation.
“This precaution is necessary to prevent the creation of profiles with incorrect NIN information, which could lead to avoidable challenges during registration and subsequent examination processes.
“The Board further states that it has concluded plans to commence the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry (DE) registration any moment from now. Candidates are therefore encouraged to take advantage of this period to prepare adequately by ensuring that all their personal details are correct and consistent across relevant databases.
“JAMB wishes to emphasise that opportunities for correction of candidates’ data are increasingly shrinking due to the numerous infractions often associated with the opening of correction windows. In view of this, candidates are advised to take personal responsibility for the accuracy of their details from the onset, as requests for corrections may not always be accommodated.
“The Board counts on the cooperation of all candidates to ensure a smooth, transparent, and hitch-free 2026 UTME/DE registration exercise,” the Board added.
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