With the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) closing on Saturday, 26th February 2026 and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) insisting there isn’t going to be any extension, JAMB has informed that as of Tuesday, 17th February 2026, it has registered over 1.5 million candidates.
However, despite having a daily registration capacity of 100,000 candidates, registration centres across the country are currently operating at only about 30% of that capacity.
“This suggests that a significant number of prospective candidates have yet to take advantage of the registration opportunity,” the Board informed.
A Statement from the Public Communication Advisor for JAMB further reiterates that the window for pin vending for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will close on Saturday, 26th February 2026.
“The sale of e-PINs, which are essential for candidates to register at accredited centres, will end at 12:00 midnight on the same date.
“Actual registration at these centres for candidates who have already acquired their e-PINs will stop on Saturday, 28th February 2026.
“JAMB has made it clear that there will be no extension of the registration deadline.
“The board operates within a nationally coordinated examination calendar, which has been agreed upon by all examination bodies in Nigeria.
“The current registration window has been carefully scheduled to allow other examination bodies to conduct their exercises immediately afterward, leaving no room for any deadline extensions, regardless of requests.
“In light of this, candidates are strongly urged to obtain their e-PINs before the vending deadline and to proceed promptly to accredited centres to complete their registration.
“Delaying until the last few days may lead to unnecessary challenges, and JAMB will not entertain any appeals for extensions after the deadline has passed.
“This proactive measure aims to ensure that every candidate genuinely wishing to participate in the 2026 UTME is not excluded due to procrastination.
“All prospective candidates are strongly advised to act without delay,” JAMB advised.
About the Author
