JamzNG Latest News, Gist, Entertainment in Nigeria
With just days to go until the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) begins on April 16, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has canceled 23 Computer-Based Testing (CBT) centers across the country.
In a statement on Friday, JAMB Public Communication Advisor Dr Fabian Benjamin said it was a result of technical shortcomings detected during the 2026 UTME.
The council issued warnings to dozens of other centers that found minor operational errors, while it declared one center in Lagos permanently barred from participating in any of its future exams.
He underlined the Council’s zero tolerance stance towards sub-standard exam facilities.
The exam body said its action followed a comprehensive post-exam review, describing the mock UTME as both a preparatory exercise for candidates and a critical quality assurance mechanism for its exam infrastructure.
According to the examining body, the centers affected by the cancellation span across multiple states, including Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Plateau.
Among those canceled are centers in key urban centers such as Abuja and Lagos, including facilities in Maitama and Lugbe in the FCT, as well as several locations across Ikorodu, Lekki and Ejigbo in Lagos State.
JAMB said the decisive move underlines its commitment to maintaining the integrity of its examinations by ensuring that only centers that meet stringent technical and operational parameters are eligible to participate in the main UTME.
“The Mock UTME… serves as a platform to assess our level of preparedness and identify centers that do not meet the required operational and technical standards.
“Following internal review mechanisms, the Council identified a number of centers that did not meet these standards. As a result, decisive steps have been taken… to ensure that only fully prepared and compliant centers participate,” he said.
In addition to the canceled centres, a large number of CBT facilities nationwide have been notified and asked to upgrade their systems or risk similar fines.
The Council also singled out a Lagos-based centre, Ha-Shem Academy in Yaba, as no longer eligible to be used for any of its examinations, effectively blacklisting the facility.
JAMB reiterated that the measures are part of broader efforts to safeguard the credibility, transparency and smooth functioning of the UTME, which remains Nigeria’s main gateway to tertiary institutions.
