2026 UTME: JAMB sets February 26 Deadline as 1.5 Million Candidates Register

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced that registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination will close on Thursday, February 26, and warned that the deadline will not be extended.

In a statement from its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, the board explained that the sale of e-PINs, which began on January 26, will end at midnight on February 26.

JAMB added that candidates who have already obtained their e-PINs will still have a brief window to complete their registration, with registration expected to close on Saturday, February 28.

JAMB stressed that candidates should not wait until the last minute, insisting that “there will be no extension” under any circumstances.

The board also revealed that it has the capacity to register up to 100,000 candidates daily, but noted that centres nationwide are currently operating at about 30 per cent of that capacity. According to JAMB, this suggests a large number of intending candidates are yet to begin the process despite available space and time.

JAMB said the registration timeline was deliberately planned to allow other examination bodies to conduct their own programmes immediately after, meaning the board cannot shift its schedule or extend the process.

As of Tuesday, February 17, JAMB reported that 1.5 million candidates had already registered for the 2026 UTME, the annual computer-based examination used for admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.