As the February 26 deadline for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) sale of e-PIN approaches, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that more than 1.5 million candidates have completed their registration.

The Board maintained that the deadline would not be extended, expressing concern that although it has the capacity to register up to 100,000 candidates daily, centres countrywide are functioning at just about 30 per cent of that capacity.

A statement on Wednesday by the Public Communication Advisor of the examination body, Dr Fabian Benjamin, advised candidates to secure their e-PINs ahead of the vending deadline and promptly visit accredited centres to finalise their registration.

It explained that while the sale of e-PINs which enables a candidate to proceed to the Centre for registration will end at 12:00 midnight on Thursday, 26th February, 2026, actual registration at accredited centres for those who already procure the PIN will cease on 28th February, 2026.

“The Board wishes to clearly state that there will be no extension of the registration deadline. JAMB operates within a nationally coordinated examination calendar agreed upon by all examination bodies in Nigeria.

“The Board’s registration window is strategically scheduled to allow other examination bodies to conduct their own exercises immediately afterward. Consequently, there is no available window for any extension, even if the Board were inclined to consider one.

“Candidates are therefore strongly advised to obtain their e-PINs before the vending deadline and proceed immediately to accredited centres to complete their registration. Waiting until the last few days may result in avoidable challenges, and the Board will not entertain any appeals for extension after the deadline,,” the statement reads.

The JAMB Spokesperson emphasised that the Board is acting proactively to prevent any candidate who truly intends to sit for the 2026 UTME from being excluded as a result of procrastination or inaction.

The Guardian reports that this year’s UTME is scheduled to hold from April 16 to 25.