Some intending candidates of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination at Abule Egba part of Lagos spent up to six hours on Monday attempting to be registered.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board conducts UTME. The registration, earlier scheduled to start on January 31, was rescheduled by JAMB to begin on Monday.

It will end on March 5.

Intending UTME candidates, including Success Enonfu and her twin sister, who thronged to the Perfect Angel Computer-Based Testing Centre, Abule-Egba spent six hours at the centre but could not be registered.

“We have been here since morning. We filled out the forms and are waiting for our time, but the system has been very sluggish, and in the end, we were asked to return tomorrow.

“This will be our third attempt at UTME registration. The processes of the previous ones were better, and we spent less than one hour to get registered. We didn’t cross the cut-off marks then,” the girl said.

Favour Adenle stated that, after waiting for hours, she was at the centre on Friday, desiring to be registered without knowing that the registration was postponed.

“Many of us came here on Friday only to be told that the registration had been shifted till Monday. JAMB has been considerate in terms of the registration fee, but there is the need to put measures in place to ensure seamless registration,” she said.

Emmanuel Owobu, who had written UTME twice, said he had given up hope of attending a university due to the lost opportunities but was compelled by his parents to make another attempt.

He regretted the delay in the registration process at the centre, saying that it constituted additional discouragement.

Olaoluwa Adefamoye, the CBT centre manager, said the registration system only accepted iPhone scanners.

Mr Adefamoye said that the centre had 10 system operators ready to attend to intending UTME candidates but was hindered by the situation.

“We have about 80 candidates on the ground. We were able to register few.
“The problem is not peculiar to this centre,” the manager stated.

He appealed to JAMB to let the registration system accept scanners from other devices to make the process faster and easier.

JAMB approved 870 CBT centres for the 2025 UTME, a notable increase from the 747 centres in 2024. The examination begins on March 8.

Mock UTME is scheduled for February 23.

2025 UTME registration costs N7,200. Candidates wishing to participate in the mock examination will pay N8,200, while direct entry candidates are expected to pay N5,700.

The mock examination is designed to allow candidates to familiarise themselves with the CBT format and enhance their preparations.

JAMB also introduced a UTME Mock Trial for candidates under 16 who wish to experience the CBT process without participating in the main UTME.

The aim is to prepare them ahead of time.

(NAN)