NIGERIA: JAMB Bars Unmonitored CBT Centres From 2026 UTME Registration

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board JAMB has announced that any Computer Based Test CBT centre whose registration activities cannot be monitored live and remotely from its National Headquarters in Abuja will not be permitted to participate in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination UTME registration exercise.

The decision was disclosed by JAMB Registrar Prof Is haq Oloyede during a stakeholders meeting with Peace Monitors Chief Technical Advisers Chief External Examiners and zonal and state coordinators involved in overseeing CBT centres.

The policy tagged No Vision No Registration No UTME is aimed at curbing registration infractions and restoring full integrity to the examination process the board stated in its weekly bulletin published on its website.

Prof Oloyede emphasised that all participating CBT centres must be equipped to allow real time viewing of registration activities from JAMB headquarters in Abuja.

Any centre that cannot be covered or viewed live will not receive payment for services and any registration conducted there may be invalidated he said. He further mandated the compulsory use of Microsoft or Digitech live cameras for capturing the second image during registration to minimise picture manipulation which was detected during the 2025 exercise.

The registrar outlined strict technical specifications for CCTV systems requiring all centres to migrate to HIKVision Closed Circuit Television setups with HIKVision recommended as the Network Video Recorder or Digital Video Recorder.

The NVR must have a minimum of 16 channels to cover all areas of the centre including the examination hall verification area holding room walkways server room and entrance and exit doors. All systems must be wired as wireless CCTV will not be permitted.

JAMB warned that centres failing to comply would face sanctions including possible prosecution while the board will not bear the cost of reconfiguring CCTV routers or other upgrades. Oloyede recalled that erring centres and individuals involved in past malpractices have been delisted and are currently facing prosecution adding that the board will not hesitate to take similar action against any violators.

The 2026 UTME registration officially co

mmenced on Monday.