The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has debunked claims circulating on social media that candidates currently enrolled in tertiary institutions were barred from registering for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), describing the narrative as a deliberate distortion of its guidelines.
In a statement signed by the Public Communication Advisor (PCA) to JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, on Wednesday in Abuja, the Board noted that the controversy arose from the misrepresentation of its 2026 UTME/Direct Entry (DE) registration directives by “Unscrupulous self-styled education advocates” seeking online attention.
He said: “It is not an offence for a candidate to register for the UTME/DE while still enrolled in an institution,” the Board clarified. “However, failure to disclose such status constitutes an offence.”
JAMB explained that its only requirement was full disclosure of a candidate’s matriculation status at the point of registration, stressing that Nigerian law prohibits multiple admissions at the same time.
“For the avoidance of doubt and for record purposes, and in line with its statutory mandate to prevent multiple matriculations, the Board directed that all candidates registering for the 2026 UTME/DE must disclose their matriculation status, where applicable.”
According to JAMB, disclosure simply means that once a candidate secures a new admission through the UTME/DE process, any previous admission automatically ceases to exist, as it added, “The law is explicit that no candidate is permitted to hold two admissions concurrently.”
JAMB also revealed that intelligence from recent examinations shows a growing trend of already-matriculated students acting as “professional examination takers,” a development it described as troubling.
“Mandatory disclosure, therefore, expedites appropriate action whenever such candidates are apprehended,” the Board noted.
While JAMB acknowledged that its systems were capable of detecting prior matriculation, it warned that candidates who deliberately conceal their status do so at their own risk of forfeiting both opportunities.
Reacting to the misinformation campaign, JAMB lamented what it called a yearly ritual of false narratives at the start of every registration cycle.
“Many of these individuals do not take the time to read or properly understand the guidelines, yet hastily rush to the public space with false narratives aimed solely at attracting traffic to their social media platforms.”
JAMB therefore urged candidates and parents to rely only on official publications and to read registration guidelines carefully, rather than accepting distorted interpretations.
