The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has begun a nationwide accreditation exercise to ensure that only qualified and secure centres conduct the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
A total of 848 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across the country are being assessed in the exercise, which commenced on Monday, December 15, 2025.
Speaking during a virtual meeting with key stakeholders involved in the process, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, described the assignment as a national duty that must be handled with utmost care and integrity.
He urged members of the accreditation team to remain focused, diligent and firm, warning against approving centres that fall below the Board’s standards. According to him, their decisions would directly affect the credibility of the UTME.
Prof. Oloyede also cautioned officials to prioritise their safety by avoiding unnecessary movement and risky actions, assuring them that adequate security measures had been put in place to ensure a smooth exercise.
JAMB’s IT Consultant, Mr. Damilola Bamiro, explained that only centres that successfully passed the mandatory automated system readiness test were eligible for physical inspection.
He outlined key areas for assessment, including functional wired CCTV systems using the HIKVision model, uninterrupted power supply connections, verifiable holding rooms close to examination halls, and at least 250 functional laptops for new centres.
Other requirements include spacious registration areas with CCTV coverage, accessible network cables for biometric verification, and a star network topology to ease troubleshooting.
Also speaking, the Director of Information Technology Services, represented by Mr. Auwal Ahmed Bello, familiarised participants with the Centre Management System and reporting procedures.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Chief External Examiners, Prof. Vincent Tenebe, and Chief Technical Advisor, Prof. Bashir Galandanci, reaffirmed their commitment to delivering a credible accreditation process.
They described the exercise as critical to safeguarding the integrity of the 2026 UTME and thanked JAMB for the opportunity to contribute to national development.
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