The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced plans to accredit 1,039 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, disclosed this on Wednesday in Ilorin during an inspection and accreditation tour of CBT centres. He said 52 accreditation teams had been deployed across the country to reassess centres and disqualify those that fail to meet the board’s standards.
According to Oloyede, the annual accreditation exercise is aimed at ensuring strict compliance with established requirements, stressing that approval in previous years does not automatically guarantee continued eligibility.
“Qualifying last year does not mean you will qualify this year,” he said.
He described the process as progressing well, noting that only a few centres previously linked to examination malpractice had attempted to re-emerge under new arrangements.
“Some centres implicated in malpractice last year, though not in Kwara State, have tried to repackage themselves by relocating or changing identities,” he explained.
Oloyede added that JAMB has strengthened its partnership with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to prevent operators of blacklisted centres from returning to the system. He noted that directors of failed centres are now barred nationwide, with access to their records, including National Identification Numbers (NINs), to curb abuse.
He further disclosed that staff and invigilators previously involved in malpractice have also been prohibited from participating in future examinations.
“All individuals involved have their NINs flagged. Any attempt to resurface elsewhere will automatically disqualify the affected centre,” he said.
The registrar also revealed that computers used in delisted CBT centres have been permanently excluded from the JAMB system, even if transferred to other centres.
“Once a computer is linked to a banned centre, it can never be approved again,” he stated.
Oloyede said a few infractions had already been detected, adding that security agencies had been invited to investigate such cases, as they constitute violations of both JAMB regulations and Nigerian law.
On accreditation requirements, the Chief Technical Adviser to the Kwara State accreditation team, Prof. Veronica Mejabi, said CBT centres must satisfy both technical and operational criteria. She noted that a key technical requirement is the implementation of an approved network topology to enable quick troubleshooting during examinations.
She added that centres must also provide alternative power sources such as generators and inverters, while operational requirements include adequate waiting areas, functional toilet facilities and the installation of CCTV cameras for monitoring.
Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN), who led one of the validation teams, warned candidates against examination malpractice, stressing that offenders would face severe consequences.
“If you cheat and are caught, that is the end,” he cautioned.
