Summary
JAMB says 2,243,816 candidates registered for 2026 UTME. See the full state-by-state breakdown, foreign-centre figures, and the April 16 exam date.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that 2,243,816 candidates successfully registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This marks another significant year for tertiary education admissions in Nigeria.
Lagos State leads the registration numbers, followed closely by Kaduna and FCT Abuja. Here is the breakdown of the top registering states:
| Rank | State | Candidates |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lagos | 321,814 |
| 2 | Kaduna | 303,498 |
| 3 | FCT Abuja | 302,963 |
| 4 | Ogun | 137,156 |
| 5 | Oyo | 122,662 |
| 6 | Rivers | 105,584 |
| 7 | Kano | 83,167 |
| 8 | Delta | 77,670 |
| 9 | Nasarawa | 65,739 |
| 10 | Kwara | 64,988 |
| State | Candidates |
|---|---|
| Abia | 44,394 |
| Adamawa | 31,321 |
| Akwa Ibom | 47,079 |
| Anambra | 34,787 |
| Bauchi | 27,963 |
| Bayelsa | 27,245 |
| Benue | 60,860 |
| Borno | 33,483 |
| Cross River | 34,605 |
| Delta | 77,670 |
| Ebonyi | 19,662 |
| Edo | 59,605 |
| Ekiti | 31,643 |
| Enugu | 50,305 |
| FCT Abuja | 302,963 |
| Gombe | 23,012 |
| Imo | 42,170 |
| Jigawa | 28,166 |
| Kaduna | 303,498 |
| Kano | 83,167 |
| Katsina | 37,973 |
| Kebbi | 36,533 |
| Kogi | 46,783 |
| Kwara | 64,988 |
| Lagos | 321,814 |
| Nasarawa | 65,739 |
| Niger | 47,679 |
| Ogun | 137,156 |
| Ondo | 66,270 |
| Osun | 64,894 |
| Oyo | 122,662 |
| Plateau | 62,440 |
| Rivers | 105,584 |
| Sokoto | 20,243 |
| Taraba | 38,093 |
| Yobe | 20,583 |
| Zamfara | 14,841 |
JAMB also recorded registrations from 10 foreign countries:
The JAMB Registrar disclosed that the Board discovered fraudulent syndicates using AI-generated fake videos to promise score inflation. Over 100 candidates identified to be involved in such schemes have had their registrations flagged for deletion.
Candidates are advised to avoid any third-party promises of score manipulation, as JAMB has sophisticated systems to detect such fraudulent activities.
The 2026 UTME examination is scheduled to commence on April 16th, 2026. Candidates are advised to:
JAMB published the 2026 UTME registration statistics, state-by-state totals, and foreign-centre figures in its March 2, 2026 bulletin.
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