Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – As the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) enters its second day, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) assures candidates affected by technical disruptions that they will be rescheduled to sit the examination.
JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, gives the assurance on Friday in Abuja while addressing concerns raised by candidates and parents during an oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education to selected Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.
The intervention follows widespread complaints at centres such as the Good Success CBT Centre in Utako, where candidates report repeated network failures across two days, leaving many stranded after hours of waiting.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Mohammed Dandutse, acknowledges both progress and persistent challenges in the exercise, noting that technical glitches are not limited to Abuja but occur nationwide.
“We have seen progress and we have seen challenges… these issues need to be addressed even before the exam takes place,” Dandutse says, pledging legislative oversight to ensure improved efficiency and prevent recurrence. He adds that urgent action has been directed to enable affected candidates retake the exam.
Defending the process, Benjamin describes the glitches as “not unusual” given the scale of the exercise, which involves 957 centres nationwide. He emphasises that JAMB’s priority is ensuring that every registered candidate ultimately sits the examination, including through mop-up arrangements for those repeatedly affected.
Despite the setbacks, some candidates report smooth experiences at other centres. At Kogo CBT Centre in Abuja, candidates commend the process for improved coordination, tight security, and better responsiveness compared to previous years.
The UTME, which commenced on Thursday, is expected to accommodate over 2.2 million candidates, with each centre running three sessions daily to maximise efficiency.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Chukwu Obinna