Author: kayode amuda

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has stated that candidates who are already enrolled in tertiary institutions may register for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry, but must formally declare their matriculation status, otherwise, they risk losing both admissions.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, who said the directive had been misrepresented by individuals he described as “self-styled education advocates,” leading to confusion among candidates and parents.

“The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been drawn to a misleading and unfortunate distortion of a portion of the board’s clear directives to candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE, as contained in the 2026 UTME/DE advertisement.

“This deliberate misrepresentation is being propagated by some unscrupulous self-styled education advocates for parochial interests,”Benjamin said.

He noted that such misinterpretations often emerge at the start of every registration cycle, accusing some commentators of spreading false narratives without properly understanding the guidelines.

“Many of them do not take the time to read or properly understand the guidelines, yet hastily rush to the public space with false narratives aimed solely at attracting traffic to their social media platforms,” he said.

Benjamin stressed that registering for UTME or DE while still enrolled in another institution is not prohibited, but failing to disclose that status is considered an offence under JAMB regulations.

“For the avoidance of doubt and for record purposes, and in line with its statutory mandate to prevent multiple matriculations, the board directed that all candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE must disclose their matriculation status, where applicable,” he said.

He added, “It is not an offence for a candidate to register for the UTME/DE while still enrolled in an institution. However, failure to disclose such a status constitutes an offence. 

“Disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures admission through the latest registration, the former admission automatically ceases to subsist. The law is explicit that no candidate is permitted to hold two admissions concurrently.”

According to Benjamin, the policy has become more critical following discoveries that some already-matriculated students have been involved in examination malpractice as hired test takers.

“Mandatory disclosure, therefore, expedites appropriate action whenever such candidates are apprehended,” he said.

While noting that JAMB’s systems are capable of detecting previous matriculation records, he warned that candidates who fail to make the required disclosure could forfeit both their existing admission and any new one obtained through the examination process.

“The board, therefore, urges the public to be cautious of these so-called education advocates who are perpetually eager to mislead candidates and parents for selfish gain.

“Members of the public are advised to carefully read official guidelines and avoid accepting distorted interpretations wholesale,” he added.

JAMB also reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of its examinations.

The board had earlier announced that registration for the 2026 UTME began on January 26, adding that only Computer-Based Test centres with facilities that allow remote monitoring would be permitted to participate.

It said the policy, tagged “No Vision, No Registration, No UTME,” is aimed at reducing registration irregularities and strengthening confidence in the examination process.