The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has concluded the accreditation of Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), as it prepares to deploy over 1000 centres for the examination, the highest number ever recorded.

Also, the Board assures Nigerians of a landmark examination that will set new standards in the annals of the Board’s history.

The nationwide accreditation exercise, commenced on Monday, 15th December, 2025, covering 848 CBT centres across the country.

It marked the final stage of a rigorous, technology-driven process designed to strengthen the integrity, efficiency and security of the UTME.

Addressing stakeholders during the exercise, the Registrar of the Board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, expressed appreciation to Chief External Examiners (CEES), Chief Technical Advisors (CTAS), Zonal Directors, State Coordinators, IT professionals and other critical partners for their commitment to national duty.

He reiterated that only centres that meet the Board’s stringent standards were accredited, stressing that the credibility of the examination must never be compromised.

Prof. Oloyede assured Nigerians that the 2026 UTME would be the most transparent and technologically advanced in the Board’s history, owing to the far-reaching innovations introduced across the entire examination value chain.

These innovations span centre accreditation, candidate registration and examination administration, all aimed at delivering a seamless and credible assessment process.

The Board’s IT Consultant, Mr. Damilola Bamiro, explained that only centres that successfully passed the mandatory automated system readiness test were considered for physical inspection.

Emphasis was placed on globally accepted best practices, including robust CCTV coverage, secure network architecture, reliable power backups and enhanced biometric verification systems.

Similarly, the Director of Information Technology Services, through her representative, highlighted the effectiveness of the Centre Management System (CMS) in monitoring, reporting and ensuring real-time compliance across centres, while the leadership of the CEES and CTAS reaffirmed their resolve to uphold the integrity of the exercise.

With the successful conclusion of the accreditation exercise, JAMB has reassured candidates, parents and the general public that the 2026 UTME will be conducted in a safe, secure and technologically fortified environment. The Board affirmed that the scale of accredited centres, combined with the accompanying innovations, positions the 2026 UTME as the best ever conducted in the history of the Board.