JAMB to Accredit 1,039 CBT Centres, Partners CAC to Permanently Ban Directors of Blacklisted Facilities

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially set the wheels in motion for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), announcing plans to accredit a record 1,039 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across the federation.

The Registrar of the Board, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, revealed the figure during an oversight tour of centres in Ilorin, Kwara State. He confirmed that 52 specialized teams have been deployed nationwide to conduct rigorous re-accreditation for existing centres and evaluate new applicants.

In a significant move to bolster accountability, Professor Oloyede announced a new partnership with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) designed to prevent “resurrected” fraud. “We have liaised with the CAC so that once you are a director of a failed or blacklisted CBT centre, you cannot resurrect anywhere in the country,” the Registrar stated. “We now have access to directors’ details, including their National Identification Numbers (NIN), to ensure that those who compromise our system are permanently excluded.”

The 2026 exercise also introduces a mandatory admission status declaration. JAMB data from the previous year revealed that over 90% of examination infractions were committed by individuals who were already students in tertiary institutions. Consequently, all 2026 applicants must declare if they are currently enrolled in any institution, with stiff penalties including the cancellation of previous admissions awaiting those who provide false information.

Technically, the Board has raised the bar for centre owners. Requirements for the 2026 cycle include the mandatory use of dual-screen systems during registration so candidates can verify their data in real-time, and the installation of cabled HIKVision CCTV systems with 16-channel DVRs connected to Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS).

As the physical inspection of the first batch of 848 centres continues this week, prospective candidates have been advised to prepare for the registration window, which officially opens on January 31, 2026, and closes on March 8, 2026.