The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has revealed its intention to accredit 1,039 Computer-Based Test centres across the country for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, the JAMB Registrar, made this announcement during an interview on Wednesday in Ilorin while conducting an accreditation visit to CBT centres.
Oloyede stated that 52 examination teams have been sent nationwide to re-evaluate centres and disqualify any that do not meet the board’s required standards.
He emphasised that the yearly accreditation process is essential to maintain adherence to established guidelines, noting that previous approval does not automatically ensure ongoing qualification.
“The fact that you qualified last year does not mean you qualify this year,” Oloyede said.
The registrar assessed the ongoing exercise positively as “so far so good,” while mentioning that only a small number of centres previously involved in issues have tried to re-emerge.
“Some centres that were implicated in examination malpractice last year, not in Kwara State though, have repackaged themselves this year, moving from one centre to another,” he said.
Oloyede explained that JAMB has enhanced its partnership with the Corporate Affairs Commission to stop operators of blacklisted centres from re-entering the system.
“We have liaised with the CAC so that once you are a director of a failed CBT centre, you cannot resurrect anywhere in the country. We now have access to directors’ details, including their NIN, to prevent abuse,” he said.
He further noted that staff members and proctors who were previously involved in malpractice have been permanently prohibited from future examinations.
“All individuals involved have their NINs flagged. If they move elsewhere, they will destroy that centre because we will not approve it,” Oloyede said.
The registrar also revealed that computers from delisted centres have been permanently excluded from the JAMB system.
“Once a computer set is found belonging to a centre we have delisted, it can never come back to our system, even if sold to another CBT centre,” he said.
He mentioned that JAMB has identified a few violations and has referred them to security agencies for investigation, pointing out that these acts constitute not only breaches of board rules but also offences under Nigerian law.
Regarding the accreditation standards, Prof. Veronica Mejabi, the Chief Technical Adviser to the accreditation team in Kwara State, explained that CBT centres are required to satisfy both hardware and software-related criteria.
“The most important hard criterion is the implementation of a specified network topology to ensure quick troubleshooting during examinations,” she said.
She noted that centres are also required to have backup power supplies such as inverters and generators, while softer requirements include waiting areas for candidates, sufficient toilet facilities, and the installation of CCTV cameras for surveillance.
Additionally, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN), the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin who headed one of the validation teams, issued a strong warning to candidates about engaging in examination malpractice.
“If you cheat, you will be caught, and when you are caught, that is the end,” he cautioned.
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