2026 UTME: CCTV Cameras To Monitor Exam Centres As Registration Ends Today

JAMB to observe centres from HQ, candidates scramble to beat deadline

With hours left until the close of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration, computer-based test (CBT) centres across Nigeria are witnessing a last-minute surge as candidates race to beat the deadline.

LEADERSHIP Weekend observed that strict surveillance has also taken centre stage at CBT centres as part of intensified live monitoring measures.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had made the installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras mandatory across all accredited centres, allowing real-time monitoring of registration activities from its headquarters in Abuja.

While the sale of e-PINs ended on Thursday, 26 February, candidates who had already obtained their pins have until today (Saturday, 28 February 2026) to complete registration at accredited centres nationwide.

It was gathered that the rush at centres was further amplified by the looming deadline.

JAMB recently announced that over 1.5 million candidates had already registered, but with centres operating at barely 30 per cent of their daily capacity of 100,000 candidates, a significant number of prospective candidates are yet to complete their registration.

The Board repeatedly warned that no extensions would be granted, leaving many students scrambling to meet the deadline.

With over 1,039 centres accredited to conduct the examination, JAMB has intensified its monitoring efforts to ensure transparency and credibility in the registration process.

This year, the regulatory body has made CCTV installation mandatory, aiming to standardise operations and prevent malpractice during the registration exercise.

JAMB registrar, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, confirmed that 1,039 CBT centres had been accredited nationwide to conduct the 2026 UTME. Each centre, he said, must meet stringent requirements, with CCTV systems now compulsory under the accreditation criteria.

Centres without functional, properly placed cameras or whose feeds cannot be monitored live from JAMB headquarters risk having their registration activities invalidated or even losing future accreditation.

These measures are part of JAMB’s broader effort to standardise the examination process and prevent irregularities. In fact, live monitoring from the board’s headquarters forms a core component of the 2026 registration exercise.

According to JAMB’s guidelines, all registration activities at participating centres must be visible in real time. Any centre whose registration process cannot be verified via live feed risks non-payment for its services, and, in extreme cases, the registrations it carries out may be invalidated.

In Abuja, LEADERSHIP Weekend visited some CBT centres on Thursday and observed that the facilities had complied with the JAMB directive, with CCTV cameras installed to cover key areas, including exam halls, verification and holding areas, entrances, exits, walkways, and server rooms.

The live feeds from these cameras are monitored directly from JAMB’s headquarters, a step introduced to strengthen oversight and ensure the integrity of the registration and eventual examination processes.

The presence of CCTV has introduced an unprecedented level of scrutiny, compelling centres to operate strictly within established guidelines.

Meanwhile, LEADERSHIP Weekend observed that some candidates were still caught in long queues, a sign of the last-minute surge in registration.

Many students expressed concern about potential delays and system congestion due to the high volume of candidates expected to register in the final days.

Staff at the centres urged candidates to remain patient, noting that strict adherence to JAMB’s procedures, including biometric verification and photograph capture, is essential for a valid registration.

The urgency is compounded by the Board’s lack of flexibility with regard to registration deadlines. JAMB has emphasised that the registration window is carefully scheduled within a nationally coordinated examination calendar agreed upon by all examination bodies in Nigeria.

For candidates who had already secured their e-PINs, registration can only be completed at accredited CBT centres. The centres, equipped with CCTV systems, must ensure comprehensive coverage of all operational areas.

However, efforts by LEADERSHIP Weekend to obtain further clarifications from JAMB on the operational details of live monitoring were unfruitful.

The Board’s public communication advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin, did not respond to repeated attempts to comment on how the technology would function on the examination day.

LEADERSHIP Weekend visited some CBT centres in Abuja on Thursday and observed that the centres had installed CCTV cameras in compliance with the regulatory board’s order, but the slow pace of candidate registration remained a challenge.

At Zulqud Consult Ltd (ZCL CBT Centre), an approved JAMB centre for UTME registration and examinations located at Government Secondary School, Lugbe, over 50 candidates were seated under a mango tree on the school premises, awaiting their turn to register after obtaining their e-PINs.

LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that before a candidate was called inside to register, they must be given a number to wait for their turn. At the time our correspondent waited at the venue, it took at least 20-30 minutes before another candidate was called in.

The registration room was restricted to candidates who had already obtained their e-PINs.

Some candidates who had registered and were coming out of the CBT room spoke to our correspondent.

Mercy Atah, who registered for UTME, said it took her two days to complete the process. She confirmed that the surveillance cameras captured all registration processes at the centre.

“The first day, I did not come early, and many people were ahead of me, so I was unable to do it. The second day, after obtaining my pin, I left home as early as 6 am and was able to write my name among the first. I finished my registration today,” she said.

Similarly, at the Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3 CBT Centre, candidates confirmed that CCTV cameras had been installed.

A candidate who spoke on condition of anonymity said live cameras were installed. “Yes, I saw CCTV cameras in the hall, and the registration was smooth for me.”

When this report was being filed, candidates were seen flooding the centres in a last-minute rush to meet the deadline.