The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has extended registration for its annual Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination by two weeks.

The UTME is also now expected to hold from June 19 to July 3.

It was initially to hold between June 5 and 19.

The UTME is a computer-based standardised examination for prospective undergraduates in Nigeria.

JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, had raised the possibility of the extension earlier on Friday during a virtual meeting with UTME committee members.

He cited, for the extension, the inability of at least 600,000 candidates to register for the examination despite indicating interest.

About 1.1 million candidates have already registered for the examination, according to JAMB.

“There is a need to give everyone the opportunity,” Professor Oloyede said on Friday.

The examination body had mandated candidates to have a National Identification Number (NIN) to be able to register for the examination.

Critics have described the NIN requirement as an unnecessary additional burden.

Registration for the NIN has been a nightmare for many Nigerians after the Federal Government mandated its use for access to telecommunication services.

In a press conference on Saturday, Prof Oloyede said JAMB expects that the two-week extension will provide more candidates an opportunity to register for the examination.

The decision to extend, he said, was the outcome of a two-day stakeholders’ meeting of the body’s board in Abuja. (Channels TV)

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