The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially dismissed recent social media rumours claiming that university undergraduates are barred from registering for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE). 

In a statement issued by the Board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB clarified that current students can register for the exams, but must openly disclose their existing matriculation status during the registration process. The Board described the earlier claims as misleading distortions circulated by self-styled education advocates seeking attention rather than providing accurate guidance to candidates and parents.

According to JAMB’s directive, the requirement to disclose matriculation status is intended to uphold the integrity of the admission system and prevent candidates from holding two concurrent admissions — a practice explicitly prohibited by Nigerian admissions law. 

Once a candidate successfully gains a new admission through UTME or DE registration, any previous admission automatically lapses. Failure to disclose existing enrollment, the Board warned, may lead to forfeiture of both the old and new admission offers if detected by its monitoring systems.

The clarification comes as JAMB begins its 2026 registration cycle, with the Board urging prospective candidates and the public to rely solely on official guidelines rather than unverified online interpretations. 

JAMB’s stance emphasizes transparency and compliance with established regulations, countering misinformation that had caused confusion among students preparing to sit for the exams.