The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has apologised for failing to release the latest batch of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results as scheduled, assuring candidates the results will be made public later on Sunday.

The board had earlier indicated that results for candidates who sat the exam on Friday, April 17, 2026, would be released on Saturday. However, the delay triggered frustration among candidates awaiting their scores.

In a statement issued on Sunday, JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, explained that the setback was due to the temporary absence of the board’s chief executive, who was engaged in official duties.

He assured candidates that the situation had been resolved and that the results would be released before the end of the day.

The board also apologised to candidates who stayed up late expecting the release, thanking them for their patience and understanding.

“Good morning everyone, We sincerely apologize for the delay in releasing the results for Friday, 17th April, which is the second batch in the series as earlier promised.

“Our Chief Executive was unavailable due to an important engagement but would be in the office today, and we assure you that the results will be released later today surely before nightfall.

“We also extend our heartfelt apologies to those who stayed up waiting for the release. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Fabian Benjamin, Ph.D., OrgExpert PCA, JAMB,” the statement read.

The delayed batch follows the earlier release of results for candidates who wrote the examination on Thursday, April 16, with over 600,000 results already made available.

Candidates are expected to check their results via SMS by sending “UTMERESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number linked to their registration.

Minimal Hitches

Earlier on Saturday, JAMB said it has recorded minimal challenges in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) across the country.

The Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, noted this in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, during an inspection visit to the University of Ibadan CBT centre as part of a routine monitoring visit to Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in Oyo State.

He said the exercise was largely successful, pointing out that only a few centres experienced challenges of power supply and minor technical faults associated with the systems.

Oloyede noted that “Out of about 980 centres nationwide, we have recorded issues in only about 16 centres.”

Against the backdrop of serious lapses in the past, the registrar added that the board had conducted examinations for over 1.7 million candidates successfully in 3 days.

He commended the smooth conduct of the examination process, describing it as “superb,” and praised the collaboration of stakeholders, including vice-chancellors, rectors, and other academic officials serving as proctors. (Channels TV)

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