By Mercy Adi
Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Education on Friday raised concerns over technical challenges affecting the ongoing 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, even as they commended improvements in the exercise.
The lawmakers expressed their concerns during an oversight visit to selected Computer-Based Test centres, where they monitored the examination involving over two million candidates nationwide.
Chairman of the committee, Oboku Abonsizibe Oforji, praised progress recorded in areas such as security and coordination across many centres but lamented recurring technical glitches reported in some locations, including the Good Success Centre in Abuja.
He noted that while occasional technical faults could occur in digital systems, repeated disruptions during examinations might negatively impact candidates’ performance.
Oforji said, “While we acknowledge the improvements recorded in the conduct of the examination, the recurring technical issues in some centres are a source of concern and must be addressed urgently.”
He stressed the need for proactive measures to fix such challenges before the commencement of examinations, adding that avoidable disruptions place unnecessary pressure on candidates.
The committee directed JAMB to take immediate steps to resolve the issues and ensure seamless operations across all centres.
“As part of our oversight responsibility, we will thoroughly review JAMB’s activities to ensure these lapses do not reoccur,” a member of the delegation said.
The lawmakers also highlighted the importance of the UTME as a critical gateway to tertiary education, noting that candidates included not only school leavers but also working professionals such as military personnel seeking further education.
They warned that no candidate should be denied the opportunity to sit the examination due to technical failures, especially after travelling long distances to test centres.
The committee reaffirmed its commitment to working with JAMB to improve the examination process and ensure fairness, efficiency and credibility in future UTME exercises.