The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has announced that over 11,553 underage candidates have registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Oloyede shared this information on Friday in Lagos during his visit to approved computer-based test centers where candidates are being registered.
He revealed that in the past 10 days, a total of 782,027 candidates had registered, with 11,553 of them being underage.
Oloyede further explained that by Monday, which marks the 14th day of the registration process, they expect to have registered over one million candidates, with approximately half of the registration completed by that time.
He noted that on Friday alone, 443 underage candidates were registered, contributing to the 18,813 registrations made that morning.
The JAMB registrar also highlighted the introduction of a new system to identify and track underage candidates, which helps to monitor their progress and address issues, including identifying those who may be exceptionally gifted despite being underage.
He acknowledged that some parents, often under pressure or for other reasons, are registering their children early.
Although the registration process has made significant progress, Oloyede noted that there have been delays due to technical challenges, including network failures and power outages, despite improvements made this year.
He also addressed criticisms regarding the perceived slowness of the system, explaining that Nigerians’ expectations for quick results sometimes clash with the need for thorough regulation of the process.
Oloyede pointed out that some students, although offered assistance with the registration, were not fully engaged in the process.
To ensure candidates are properly informed, new measures have been introduced, such as a time-space requirement where candidates must read specific rules before agreeing to them.
Oloyede emphasized the progress made, mentioning that registrations have consistently exceeded the planned daily target of 60,000, with some days reaching up to 100,000 registrations.
He concluded that, based on the current pace, the registration will likely be completed ahead of schedule.
