The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the official statistics for candidates who registered for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, revealing that a total of 2,243,816 candidates successfully completed the nationwide registration exercise.
The newly released data provides a detailed breakdown of the number of candidates from each state across Nigeria, offering insight into the distribution of applicants preparing to compete for admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
According to the figures, Lagos State recorded the highest number of registered candidates with 321,814 applicants, reflecting the state’s large student population and high demand for tertiary education.
It was closely followed by Kaduna State, which recorded 303,498 candidates, while the Federal Capital Territory came third with 302,963 registered candidates.
Other states with large numbers of applicants include Ogun State with 137,156 candidates, Oyo State with 122,662, and Rivers State which recorded 105,584 candidates.
At the lower end of the list, Zamfara State recorded the least number of registrations with 14,841 candidates, followed by Ebonyi State with 19,662 and Sokoto State with 20,243 candidates.
The breakdown also revealed strong participation from several other states across the country. Delta State recorded 77,670 candidates, Edo State had 59,605, while Benue State registered 60,860 candidates.
Similarly, Kwara State recorded 64,988 applicants, Osun State had 64,894, and Plateau State recorded 62,440 candidates for the 2026 examination.
A number of candidates also registered from outside Nigeria through JAMB’s foreign centres. Countries where registrations were recorded include Ghana, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, and the Republic of Benin, though the number of candidates from these locations remained relatively small compared to the domestic registrations.
The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination remains Nigeria’s primary entrance examination for admission into higher institutions, with millions of candidates competing annually for limited admission spaces.
With registration now concluded, candidates are expected to intensify their preparations as the examination date approaches. The 2026 UTME is scheduled to begin on April 16, 2026, and will be conducted across accredited Computer-Based Test centres nationwide.
