The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has declared that there will be no extension of the registration deadline for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), warning prospective candidates to complete their enrolment before February 26 or risk missing the examination.

In a firm notice issued on Tuesday, the Board announced that the sale of e-PINs, a mandatory requirement for registration, will close at 12:00 midnight on Thursday, February 26, 2026.

Registration at accredited Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres for candidates who have already purchased their e-PINs will end two days later, on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

As of February 17, JAMB disclosed that over 1.5 million candidates have successfully registered nationwide.

Despite this impressive figure, the Board revealed that registration centres across the country are operating at barely 30 per cent of their daily capacity, raising concerns that many eligible candidates are yet to take advantage of the ongoing exercise.

JAMB noted that it has the capacity to register 100,000 candidates daily, a figure that significantly exceeds the current turnout at centres nationwide.

“The Board wishes to clearly state that there will be no extension of the registration deadline,” the statement emphasised.

According to JAMB, its examination timetable is part of a nationally coordinated calendar agreed upon by all examination bodies in Nigeria.

The UTME registration window was carefully structured to ensure a seamless transition to other public examination exercises scheduled to follow.

“Consequently, there is no available window for any extension, even if the Board were inclined to consider one,” it said.

The examination body warned that candidates who delay registration until the final days may encounter avoidable challenges and stressed that it would not entertain appeals once the deadline lapses.

JAMB described the early warning as a proactive measure to ensure that no serious candidate is shut out of the examination process due to procrastination.

With just days to the vending deadline, the Board urged all prospective candidates to obtain their e-PINs immediately and proceed to accredited centres to complete their registration.

“All prospective candidates are urged to act now,” the statement concluded.

The 2026 UTME is expected to attract millions of applicants seeking admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, making adherence to the registration timeline crucial for aspirants nationwide. (Vanguard)

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