The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has extended its 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) registration exercise by one week starting from Wednesday, February 15.

The board, in a statement by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said by the extension, the sale of ePINs would end on Monday, February 20, while the UTME registration would end on Wednesday, February 22.

Mr Benjamin said 1,527,068 candidates, including 168,748, interested in Mock exams, had successfully registered for the 2023 UTME exercise as of Tuesday.

“It should also be noted that the board, based on its projections, had expanded its capacity to register up to 100,000 candidates per day.

“With this, it was possible to register all desiring candidates within the space of a few days. However, less than 50,000 candidates were turning up for registration which is less than the installed registration capacity.”

Nonetheless, he said the daily number of candidates picked to over 100,000 a few days before the closing date.

“Furthermore, the board, as a responsive and proactive agency, took cognisance of the reports from across the country indicating some difficulties being faced by many Nigerians in using their electronic channels to purchase the ePINs or obtain cash readily within the stipulated period,” he said.

Mr Benjamin said the board, thereafter, granted the extension to ensure that all candidates who desired to register for the 2023 UTME had the opportunity to do so, especially when the extant challenges were not of their own making. 

(NAN)