By Ayo Kehinde
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has remitted a total of ₦1,570,671,200 to Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres that participated in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration exercise.
In the latest edition of the Board’s weekly publication, JAMBulletin, released on Monday, the Board explained that the payment followed its earlier decision to collect the ₦700 registration charge due to CBT centres alongside the UTME ePIN registration fee from candidates and remit the funds directly to the centres on a weekly basis.
According to JAMB, the arrangement was designed to protect candidates from exploitation, eliminate the burden of making multiple payments at different registration points and ensure a smooth and transparent registration process.
Under the system, candidates are not required to make separate payments at CBT centres. Instead, the ₦700 registration charge is embedded in the ePIN purchased by candidates, allowing them to visit any accredited UTME CBT centre of their choice for registration.
“Once a candidate purchases the ePIN which already includes the ₦700 registration charge, they are free to visit any accredited UTME CBT centre of their choice for registration without being restricted to any particular centre”, the Board stated.
It added that the policy has helped to significantly curb the imposition of unauthorised charges on candidates while also strengthening the Board’s cashless registration process across the centres, many of which are privately owned.
To further enforce compliance and address registration infractions, JAMB also introduced the “No View, No Pay” policy. Under the policy, payments to CBT centres are withheld if the Board is unable to remotely monitor registration activities at such centres.
The Board explained that payments are only processed after any identified anomaly is corrected and the centre’s activities can be monitored from JAMB’s headquarters in Abuja.
As a result, some centres that initially encountered monitoring challenges did not receive payment alongside others until the irregularities were resolved.
JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the cashless registration system and pledged to continue introducing technological innovations aimed at ensuring that the UTME registration process remains seamless, transparent and equitable for all candidates.
