JAMB Remits ₦1.57 Billion to CBT Centres Nationwide as 2026 UTME Candidate Registrations Surpass 2.2 Million

JAMB pays ₦1.57 billion to CBT centres for 2026 UTME registrations. Over 2.2 million candidates registered as the board expands to 1,000 exam centres.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 9, 2026, 8:54 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Channels Television

Financial Remittance and Administrative Oversight

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has finalized a significant financial disbursement of ₦1,570,671,200 to Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across Nigeria. According to a bulletin signed by Public Communication Advisor Fabian Benjamin, these funds represent the ₦700 registration charges collected on behalf of the centres during the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) exercise. This weekly remittance system is designed to ensure that accredited facilities are compensated promptly for their role in the national examination process. By managing these payments centrally, the board maintains a standardized financial relationship with its partners, ensuring that the infrastructure required for the upcoming April examinations remains operationally sound.

Curbing Candidate Exploitation Through Cashless Policy

A primary objective of the centralized payment system is the elimination of unauthorized charges and the protection of candidates from predatory pricing at registration points. Under the current framework, the ₦700 service fee is bundled with the initial ePIN purchase, meaning applicants are not required to provide any additional cash payments at the CBT centres. JAMB officials noted that this initiative has been instrumental in strengthening the adoption of a cashless registration process, particularly among privately owned facilities. This mandate ensures that candidates have the freedom to choose any accredited centre nationwide without facing the burden of hidden costs or restricted access based on specific payment locations.

Infrastructure Expansion and Logistical Readiness

In anticipation of the 2026 examination cycle, the board has significantly increased the number of available testing venues to accommodate a growing applicant pool. The number of accredited examination centres has risen to 1,000 nationwide, a substantial increase from the fewer than 800 facilities utilized in 2025. This expansion is intended to improve regional access and streamline the logistics of the UTME, which is scheduled to take place from April 16 to April 25, 2026. By increasing the density of centres, JAMB aims to reduce travel times for candidates and minimize the technical strain on individual facilities during the high-stakes testing window.