UTME: Logistical issues, complaints trail exams as parents demand overhaul of JAMB centre allocations

*With over 2.24 million candidates registered for Nigeria’s 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, the sheer volume of applicants has put a massive strain on the technical infrastructure of Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examinations

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Several exam candidates, parents and guardians have criticised the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for shoddy logistical capacity that failed to match its 2.24 mullion record-breaking number of candidates registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME).

ConsumerConnect reports one of the concerned UTME candidates, who spoke to reporters outside the JAMB Zonal Office, in Ikoyi, Lagos State, highlighted the apparent disconnect between the Board’s digital ambitions and the logistical reality on the ground.

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It is also noted that latest Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations cycle has been marred by significant logistical hurdles.

Several exam candidates and their parents subsequently, questioned the efficiency of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

It is also recalled that several parents and guardians, in Plateau State, ahead of the scheduled UTME, had complained about the deployment of their sons and daughters to non-Christian UTME centres across the volatile state.

The major grievance for several families this year is the baffling distance between candidates’ homes and their assigned Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres whether in Plateau, or other parts of the West African country.

For instance, in a city notorious for its gridlock like Lagos, UTME candidates reportedly found themselves posted to areas virtually invisible to digital maps.

It was gathered that a frustrated candidate, found wandering the streets of an unfamiliar neighbourhood, shared her ordeal: “I’ve been moving around for over two hours.

“The address on my slip says one thing, but the people here say the centre is in a completely different local government. I’m exhausted and scared I’ll miss my session.”

For parents, the lack of geographic consideration in the JAMB allocation process is not merely a nuisance—it is a safety concern.

A parent, struggling to get a ward to a dawn appointment before the exam, told Channels TV their experience: “How can you post a child living in Ikorodu to a centre in a remote part of Badagry for a 7:00 a.m. exam? It’s not just stressful; it’s dangerous.”

Locating the centre, however, was only half the battle. Once on-site, the promised “digital efficiency” of the UTME often gave way to technical inertia.

Similarly, biometric verification hitches and server outages left teenagers languishing for hours, according to report.

Another student candidate speaking from a crowded waiting area, said: “We were supposed to start by 9:00 a.m., but it’s almost noon now.

“They keep telling us the network is down or the systems are being configured. We are just sitting here under the sun.”

The confusion has also created a predatory micro-economy.

Local transporters, sensing the panic of students trailing behind the clock, have reportedly tripled their rates, report noted.

A candidate who finally arrived at their centre via motorbike recounted the exploitation: “The bike man charged me three times the normal price because he knew I was desperate to find the CBT centre.

“I had no choice but to pay because time was running out.”

The emotional toll of the 2026 UTME is visible as parents and guardians express despair over remote centre allocations and the safety of their children navigating unfamiliar territories.

JAMB should perform much better

As the dust settles on this year’s examination windows, the recurring nature of these “teething problems” has exhausted the patience of the Nigerian public.

“While JAMB continues to push for a fully digitised, world-class examination standard, critics argue the infrastructure on the ground is failing to keep pace.

Summarising the collective frustration of Lagosian families, a parent urged the Board to prioritise proximity and verified locations in future: She said: “JAMB needs to do better. If they want us to go digital, they should ensure the centres are verified and accessible. ” “You can’t be ‘lamenting’ hardship every year for the same exam.”

Pressure on the system

Reports indicated that with over 2.24 million candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, the sheer volume of applicants might have put a massive strain on JAMB’s technical infrastructure, leaving many to wonder if the board’s logistical capacity could match its record-breaking numbers registered for the public examination this year.

For now, the success of these students rests not just on their academic preparation, but on their ability to navigate a system that seems, at times, designed to keep them off the map, report said.

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