The latest Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) cycle has been marred by significant logistical hurdles, leaving candidates and parents questioning the efficiency of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

The primary grievance for many families this year is the baffling distance between candidates’ homes and their assigned Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres. In a city notorious for its gridlock, students found themselves posted to areas virtually invisible to digital maps.

“I’ve been moving around for over two hours. The address on my slip says one thing, but the people here say the centre is in a completely different local government. I’m exhausted and scared I’ll miss my session,” one frustrated candidate, found wandering the streets of an unfamiliar neighbourhood, while sharing her ordeal.

For parents, the lack of geographic consideration in the JAMB allocation process is not merely a nuisance—it is a safety concern.

“How can you post a child living in Ikorodu to a centre in a remote part of Badagry for a 7:00 a.m. exam? It’s not just stressful; it’s dangerous,” One parent, struggling to get their ward to a dawn appointment, noted.

Locating the centre, however, was only half the battle. Once on-site, the promised “digital efficiency” of the UTME often gave way to technical inertia. Biometric verification hitches and server outages left teenagers languishing for hours.

“We were supposed to start by 9:00 a.m., but it’s almost noon now. They keep telling us the network is down or the systems are being configured. We are just sitting here under the sun,” one student lamented from a crowded waiting area.

The confusion has also created a predatory micro-economy. Local transporters, sensing the panic of students trailing behind the clock, have reportedly tripled their rates.

A candidate who finally arrived at their centre via motorbike recounted the exploitation: “The bike man charged me three times the normal price because he knew I was desperate to find the CBT centre. I had no choice but to pay because time was running out.”

The emotional toll of the 2026 UTME is visible as parents and guardians express despair over remote centre allocations and the safety of their children navigating unfamiliar territories.

‘JAMB Needs To Do Better’

As the dust settles on this year’s examination windows, the recurring nature of these “teething problems” has exhausted the patience of the Nigerian public. While JAMB continues to push for a fully digitised, world-class examination standard, critics argue that the infrastructure on the ground is failing to keep pace.

Summarising the collective frustration of Lagosian families, one parent urged the board to prioritise proximity and verified locations in the future.

“JAMB needs to do better. If they want us to go digital, they should ensure the centres are verified and accessible. You can’t be ‘lamenting’ hardship every year for the same exam,” they said.

Pressure on the System: With over 2.24 million candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, the sheer volume of applicants has put a massive strain on JAMB’s technical infrastructure, leaving many to wonder if the board’s logistical capacity can match its record-breaking numbers.

For now, the success of these students rests not just on their academic preparation, but on their ability to navigate a system that seems, at times, designed to keep them off the map. (Channels TV)