University students must do this or forfeit UTME registration — JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has clarified that candidates currently enrolled in tertiary institutions can register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry, but must disclose their matriculation status, warning that failure to do so could result in the forfeiture of both admissions.

In a statement on Wednesday, signed by the Board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said some “self-styled education advocates” had misrepresented the Board’s directives, causing confusion among candidates and parents.

“The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been drawn to a misleading and unfortunate distortion of a portion of the Board’s clear directives to candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE, as contained in the 2026 UTME/DE advertisement.

This deliberate misrepresentation is being propagated by some unscrupulous self-styled education advocates for parochial interests,” Benjamin said.

He noted that such individuals routinely surface at the commencement of every registration cycle.

“Many of them do not take the time to read or properly understand the guidelines, yet hastily rush to the public space with false narratives aimed solely at attracting traffic to their social media platforms,” he said.

Benjamin emphasised that it is not an offence for a candidate to register for the UTME/DE while still enrolled in an institution, but failure to disclose such status constitutes an offence.

For the avoidance of doubt and for record purposes, and in line with its statutory mandate to prevent multiple matriculations, the Board directed that all candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE must disclose their matriculation status, where applicable,” he said.

He explained, “It is not an offence for a candidate to register for the UTME/DE while still enrolled in an institution. However, failure to disclose such status constitutes an offence. Disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures admission through the latest registration, the former admission automatically ceases to subsist. The law is explicit that no candidate is permitted to hold two admissions concurrently.”

The adviser also highlighted that recent findings indicate that some matriculated students have been engaged as professional examination takers.

“Mandatory disclosure, therefore, expedites appropriate action whenever such candidates are apprehended,” he said.

Benjamin added that although the Board’s system can detect prior matriculation, candidates who fail to disclose stand the risk of forfeiting both opportunities.

“The Board therefore urges the public to be cautious of these so-called education advocates who are perpetually eager to mislead candidates and parents for selfish gain. Members of the public are advised to carefully read official guidelines and avoid accepting distorted interpretations wholesale,” he added.

As part of its ongoing efforts to maintain examination integrity, JAMB earlier announced that registration for the 2026 UTME officially commenced on January 26.

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