The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that pin vending for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) will close on Saturday, 28th February 2026.
The Board made the disclosure in a statement signed by its Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to the statement, over 1.5 million candidates had already registered for the examination as of Tuesday, 17th February. This year’s UTME is scheduled to hold from April 16 to 25.
“The sale of e-PINs, which allows candidates to proceed to accredited registration centres, will end at midnight on Thursday, 26th February 2026, while registration at centres for those who have procured e-PINs will close on Saturday, 28th February 2026,” the statement said.
Read Also: Cardoso urges Africa to strengthen banks, drive green growth
It added that registration centres across the country are operating at barely 30% of their daily capacity of 100,000 candidates, indicating that many prospective candidates have yet to register.
JAMB warned that there would be no extension of the registration deadline. “The Board operates within a nationally coordinated examination calendar agreed upon by all examination bodies in Nigeria.
Our registration window is scheduled to allow other examination bodies to conduct their exercises immediately afterward. Consequently, no extension is possible,” the statement said.
Candidates were urged to obtain their e-PINs and complete registration promptly. “Waiting until the last few days may lead to avoidable challenges. The Board will not entertain appeals for extension after the deadline.
This step ensures that no candidate who genuinely desires to sit for the 2026 UTME is shut out due to delay or complacency,” JAMB said.
