The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has registered a total of 420,674 candidates for the 2025/2026 JAMB exams nationwide as of Monday afternoon.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Monday after monitoring visits to some CBT centers in the state capital, the JAMB Registrar, Emeritus Professor Is-haq Oloyede, stated that no fewer than 32,435 candidates had registered for the exams on Monday afternoon alone.
He also noted that 124,632 candidates had registered for the mock JAMB exams, bringing the total number of trial-testing candidates to 331 so far.
Professor Oloyede added that the exam body has set a target of two million candidates for the exams.
The JAMB registrar, who reported that the number of underage registrants (candidates who would be younger than 16 years by October) stood at 4,997 as of Monday afternoon, criticized what he described as selfish parents who view their children’s educational achievements as personal trophies.
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“You can see how we’re deceiving ourselves in this country. Previously, the maximum number of underage candidates would be about 300. Now, in just five days, we already have 4,996 underage registrants. By the end of today, the number will exceed 5,000.
“Many of these parents have misdirected their children. They want to use their children’s early education to decorate their CVs.”
When asked why underage candidates are allowed to sit for the exams, the JAMB Registrar explained that all such candidates are required to sign an indemnity form or undertaking, agreeing to meet the necessary academic standards or face sanctions if they fail to demonstrate the claimed exceptional intelligence.
The JAMB registrar further revealed that six individuals engaged by JAMB from various institutions in the country have been blacklisted for life from participating in JAMB-conducted examinations.
He stated that these individuals were caught engaging in exam malpractice, adding, “We have their particulars.” He also disclosed that one senior university official is currently being prosecuted for an exam-related crime, while others remain under investigation.
Additionally, the JAMB registrar said that, earlier in the registration exercise, 10 institutions were caught registering candidates at night.
After visiting CBT centers to monitor the 2025/2026 JAMB registration process on Monday, the JAMB registrar expressed satisfaction with the exercise, stating that it was proceeding excellently across all centers.
“Going around, I am very proud of those on the field—CBT centers, my staff, and everyone involved. I think it’s significantly better. People know we will not accept anything below standard, and they have performed very well. We also appreciate the security agencies for their immense support.”
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