As the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration progresses, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) continues to make key announcements affecting candidates across Nigeria. From updates on registration numbers to policy changes affecting specific categories of students, JAMB remains committed to ensuring a seamless admission process. This news roundup highlights the latest developments, including registration statistics, financial disbursements to Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers, the introduction of the UTME Mock Trial, and the suspension of law admissions in selected universities. Additionally, we cover the heartfelt appeal of a widow urging JAMB to reconsider its SIM card policy to allow her children to register for the UTME.
UTME 2025: JAMB Registers Over 1.2 Million Candidates in Three Weeks
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it registered 1,290,715 candidates for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) within the first 19 days of registration.
According to JAMB’s weekly bulletin published on Monday, the registration breakdown is as follows:
- First week: 201,867 candidates
- Second week: 560,025 candidates
- Third week: 528,823 candidates
The UTME registration, which serves as an entrance examination into Nigerian tertiary institutions, began on Monday, 3 February, and will run until Saturday, 8 March.
Payments to CBT Centres
JAMB disclosed that it has disbursed N903.5 million to Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, distributed as follows:
- N141 million in the first week
- N392 million in the second week
- N370 million in the third week
Annually, JAMB registers an average of 1.5 million candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. In 2024, over 1.9 million candidates registered for the UTME, with 76% scoring below 200 out of the obtainable 400 marks.
Introduction of UTME Mock Trial
In a bid to enhance early preparation, JAMB has introduced the UTME Mock Trial for underage students who are not yet eligible to register for the UTME. This initiative aims to help younger students familiarize themselves with the examination process before they reach the official age requirement of 16 years, as set by the Ministry of Education.
Suspension of Law Admissions in Selected Universities
Meanwhile, JAMB has confirmed that it will not conduct admissions for the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) programme in eight universities for the 2025/2026 academic session. This follows the suspension of law programmes in these institutions by the Council of Legal Education (CLE), the highest regulatory body for legal education in Nigeria.
The affected universities include:
- Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin, Kwara State
- Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State
- Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State
- Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State
- Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State
- Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River State
- Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State
- Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State
JAMB continues to monitor and enforce educational standards while ensuring that students are well-prepared for their academic pursuits. The suspension of law admissions in these institutions reflects ongoing efforts to maintain the quality of legal education in Nigeria.
Don’t Deprive My Children of Education, Widow Begs JAMB
An aggrieved widow, Dr. Jane Uche, has appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to resolve the issue of SIM loss, which is preventing her children from registering for the UTME.
Uche made the appeal during a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.
While narrating her ordeal, she urged JAMB to make provisions for children of deceased parents whose phone numbers were used to generate profile codes.
The widow explained that her late husband had used his phone number to generate profile codes for their two children in previous UTME registrations. However, after his passing, she was unable to retrieve the SIM card.
”I have three children aged 20, 18, and 16; none of them had gained admission to any higher institution before their father passed away.
”The peers of my 20-year-old have almost graduated, but mine are still at home. The grief keeps multiplying due to recurring challenges,” she said.
According to her, this is a special appeal to JAMB to make provisions for children of deceased parents to continue with their registration.
“My husband left home that fateful day in good health, but in the evening, I was called to come and pick up his corpse in front of LASUTH Mortuary. We could not retrieve his SIM cards.
“The owner of the SIM card used to generate the profile code is now deceased. Under JAMB’s system, the same SIM card must be used to generate profile codes for subsequent exams.
“What this means is that my children cannot write JAMB again unless they retrieve their late father’s SIM card, which is impossible for us to obtain.
“With this development, my children’s education will be put on hold because, to gain admission, they must be able to sit for JAMB,” she said.
She explained that many candidates were facing similar challenges and appealed to the authorities to introduce a system that would allow SIM retrieval through SIM swaps, lost SIM recovery, or change of SIM.
“I’ve tried everything possible by visiting all JAMB offices to seek a solution, but so far, they have told me there is no provision for SIM swaps,” she added.
JAMB’s Response
JAMB’s Spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, told NAN that while the woman’s situation was unfortunate, the board could do nothing unless she retrieved the SIM from the network provider.
Benjamin explained that the board had repeatedly warned the public about the risks of losing SIM cards, noting that the SIM swap option was still unavailable.
The board’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle states that a new feature is now available at all Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres to address SIM loss, but the SIM swap feature is still not available.
The post reads: “Good news for those who cannot retrieve their previously used but lost SIM cards. A feature is now available at all CBT centres to address your case.
”Kindly fill out the template to access this service for the coming UTME/DE registration. Note that SIM SWAP is still not available”.
Another post on the official X account reads: “Important message on SIM SWAP.”
”It’s important to clarify that while this new feature addresses the issue of lost SIM cards, the SIM SWAP service, which would allow for the replacement of a SIM card with a new one for JAMB registration, is still not available.
“The SIM card remains a unique identifier that cannot be replaced through this method.
“This development is a step by JAMB to streamline the registration process, ensuring that candidates are not disadvantaged due to technical issues with their SIM cards.”
JAMB Exempts Foreign, Blind, Deaf, and Prison Inmates from University Screening
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the exemption of foreign, blind, deaf, and prison inmates from the pre-admission screening tests conducted by Nigerian tertiary institutions. This decision aligns with JAMB’s ongoing efforts to ensure inclusivity in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) registration process.
JAMB’s Gombe State Coordinator, Mr. Johnson Adebiyi, disclosed this development during a visit to the Nigerian Correctional Service in Gombe. The advocacy visit aimed to sensitize inmates about the registration process, available waivers, and JAMB’s facilities that facilitate seamless UTME registration and examination.
Adebiyi emphasized that the waiver is a strategic move to accommodate candidates with special needs and ensure they have equal educational opportunities. He assured that special needs candidates who meet the minimum admission requirements would be admitted and their academic progress monitored in their respective institutions, as directed by the 2024 Policy Meeting on Admissions. Each year before the admission exercise, tertiary institutions will receive a list of special needs candidates for necessary action.
JAMB has also implemented stringent measures to prevent fraudulent activities in the admission process. The Board has successfully facilitated the placement of prison inmates into tertiary institutions, supporting their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
The Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Gombe, Mr. Victor Odafen, lauded JAMB for the initiative, stating that the Correctional Service would ensure eligible inmates take full advantage of the opportunity.
JAMB’s commitment to inclusivity ensures that no group is marginalized. The decision to waive pre-admission screenings for these candidates eliminates barriers for those facing challenges due to disabilities or incarceration. Additionally, foreign applicants who struggle to meet institutional screening requirements will benefit from this policy.
By granting these exemptions, JAMB continues to uphold national efforts to provide equitable access to higher education, facilitating academic and career advancement for marginalized groups. The initiative is expected to significantly impact the education sector by creating pathways for prison inmates, blind, and deaf students to acquire higher education without unnecessary screening obstacles.
Conclusion
With over 1.2 million candidates already registered for the 2025 UTME, JAMB’s latest updates reflect its ongoing efforts to streamline the examination process and maintain high educational standards. While the introduction of the UTME Mock Trial offers a promising opportunity for younger students, the suspension of law admissions in certain institutions underscores JAMB’s commitment to quality assurance. At the same time, concerns like those raised by Dr. Jane Uche highlight the need for more flexible policies to accommodate special circumstances. As the UTME registration deadline approaches, candidates and stakeholders are encouraged to stay informed about JAMB’s policies to avoid last-minute hurdles.
Saying ‘no result found ‘
Your NIN (98103276736) has already been registered with GSM Number (09121501885) this is the challenge I have been facing since three years now, it’s frustrating, I can’t register jamb because of this, is there no possibly solution to this kind challenge? That GSM number is not mine and not related to me, this could be manipulation somewhere or a mistake. Please jamb should help me out to register this year.
Good day, I also have the same issue of this lost sim card and I couldn’t retrieve it back, I created a profile code in year 2022 and I did my jamb registration back then and I didn’t get admitted, well my NIN has issues then which I do all modifications that has to be done, last year 2024 I wanted to registration but couldn’t do it because of this sim lost and here is another year still in the same mess, and can not do my registration, does that mean I’m going to put on hold for jamb registration ever, pls jamb should make a provision for this issue and should do the new features they said they are going do
When will the mock exam slip be ready and when will the mock and real exam hold actually