The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has refuted reports suggesting that candidates already admitted into tertiary institutions cannot register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry.
JAMB described the claims as misleading and a distortion of its admission guidelines. In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the Board’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said the misinformation was being spread by self-styled education advocates seeking attention and social media engagement.
He explained that the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry advertisement clearly instructs candidates to declare their matriculation status during registration, in line with JAMB’s mandate to prevent multiple admissions.
“It is not an offence for candidates already enrolled in tertiary institutions to register for the UTME or Direct Entry examinations. However, full disclosure of an existing admission is mandatory,” Benjamin said.
Failure to declare an existing admission, he warned, constitutes an offence under Nigeria’s admission regulations. Disclosure ensures that once a candidate secures a new admission, any previous admission automatically becomes invalid.
Benjamin emphasized that the policy of mandatory disclosure has significantly reduced the activities of matriculated students engaging as professional examination takers. Candidates who fail to disclose their status risk losing both admissions if detected by JAMB’s system.
The Board urged the public to rely on official JAMB guidelines and avoid misleading interpretations circulated for selfish interests, advising prospective candidates to seek accurate information from authorized sources to safeguard their chances of admission.
