UTME 2023: Over 1.1 Million Candidates Registered so far, as UTME Registration Deadline Looms

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, recently announced that over 1.16 million tertiary institutions admission seekers have registered for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The Board began selling the forms on January 14, 2023, and the deadline for registration ended on February 14, 2023. Professor Oloyede stated that the Board would not extend the deadline for the 2023 Unified UTME registration, while warning centers against extortion of candidates.

During his monitoring of some Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in Abuja, Professor Oloyede revealed that UTME is not a school-based examination but an individual-based examination. He expressed concern about some schools that are collecting N30,000 from candidates in the name of JAMB, only to end up losing the telephone numbers of the candidates. He explained that this practice is a form of extortion that would not be tolerated by the Board.

Professor Oloyede stated that when schools collect the telephone numbers of candidates, it is unlikely that the candidates will receive text messages from the Board when changes are made to their timetables. This is because the candidates may have graduated from the school, and as a result, they will not have access to the changes in their course of study. To prevent this, he urged CBT centres to stop doing bulk purchases of pins and bulk registration. If a centre sells more than one pin to a source or collects money for more than one pin from a source, the Board will sanction the centre.

To protect the interests of candidates, Professor Oloyede advised them to report cases of extortion to the Board. There is a code for candidates to reach the Board when they come across any case of extortion, and there will be a reward for such an act.

In conclusion, the high number of candidates who have registered for the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination is an indication of the importance of the examination in the Nigerian education system. However, it is important for the Board to ensure that the examination process is free and fair, with no form of extortion or malpractice. Candidates are encouraged to report any act of extortion, and the Board has promised to take the necessary actions to protect the interests of candidates.