The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a stern warning against unauthorized night registration activities for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), identifying ten centers across Nigeria engaging in this practice. Through its Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB emphasized that these nocturnal registration sessions pose significant safety risks to prospective candidates.
The identified centers span multiple states, including prominent institutions like Thomas Adewumi University in Kwara State and various private examination centers across Cross River State, Benue State, and the Federal Capital Territory. JAMB’s intervention comes as part of its broader effort to maintain standardized registration protocols and ensure candidate safety nationwide.
Security concerns have become paramount in JAMB’s oversight of the registration process, particularly as examination centers attempt to accommodate increasing numbers of candidates. The board acknowledges the centers’ intentions to maximize registration capacity but maintains that such efforts must not compromise candidate safety or registration integrity.
The warning reflects growing concerns about examination center practices that potentially expose candidates to security risks. Night registration, while potentially convenient for some candidates, raises significant safety issues, especially in regions where security challenges persist. The board’s stance aligns with broader national security considerations and the need to protect young applicants during the registration process.
This development highlights the delicate balance between accessibility and safety in Nigeria’s educational system. While examination centers strive to process as many registrations as possible, JAMB’s intervention underscores the primacy of candidate welfare over operational convenience or financial considerations.
The board’s decision to publicly identify non-compliant centers serves multiple purposes. It acts as a deterrent to other centers that might consider similar practices, while also alerting prospective candidates and their guardians to potentially risky registration arrangements. The transparency in naming these centers demonstrates JAMB’s commitment to maintaining registration integrity and candidate safety.
JAMB’s warning extends beyond mere safety concerns, touching on broader issues of examination integrity and standardization. Night registration activities could potentially compromise the board’s ability to maintain uniform registration standards across all centers, thereby affecting the fairness of the entire examination process.
The affected centers’ geographical spread suggests this is not an isolated problem but rather a systemic issue requiring comprehensive intervention. From urban centers in Abuja to more remote locations in Jigawa State, the practice of night registration appears to have taken root across diverse settings, each presenting unique security challenges.
JAMB’s stance also reflects a growing awareness of the need for stricter oversight of examination centers. The board’s warning indicates a shift toward more rigorous enforcement of registration protocols, with potential consequences for centers that fail to comply with standard operating procedures.
The board’s emphasis on this being a final warning suggests an escalation in its approach to regulatory compliance. Centers continuing these practices risk severe penalties, potentially including suspension or revocation of their authorization to conduct UTME registrations.
This development serves as a reminder of the complex challenges facing Nigeria’s educational system, particularly in managing large-scale examinations like the UTME. As the board works to maintain standards while ensuring accessibility, centers must adapt their operations to prioritize candidate safety without compromising registration efficiency.
The situation highlights the ongoing evolution of JAMB’s regulatory framework, demonstrating the board’s commitment to maintaining high standards in examination administration while adapting to changing security realities in different parts of the country.
