The Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centres Proprietors Association of Nigeria has expressed concern over the ₦700 service charge allocated to centres for registering candidates for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), describing the amount as inadequate considering the current economic realities and operational demands.
The President of the association, Austin Ohaekelem, made this known in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday shortly after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced the disbursement of ₦1.57 billion to accredited CBT centres that participated in the 2026 UTME registration process.
In a bulletin issued on Monday and signed by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, the board explained that the payment represents the ₦700 registration service fee collected from candidates on behalf of CBT centres. According to JAMB, the funds are remitted to the centres weekly alongside charges related to the ePIN registration.
The bulletin stated that a total of ₦1,570,671,200 had been paid to centres involved in the 2026 UTME registration exercise.
JAMB noted that its examination fee structure has remained unchanged since 2018 and reiterated its commitment to sanction any CBT centre found guilty of charging candidates beyond the approved fees.
Under the existing structure, candidates pay ₦7,200 for UTME only, ₦8,700 for UTME with mock examination, and ₦5,700 for Direct Entry registration. The fee breakdown includes an application fee of ₦3,500, ₦1,000 for the compulsory reading text, ₦700 as the CBT centre registration service charge, ₦1,500 for CBT centre UTME service charge, ₦500 for bank charges, and ₦1,500 for the CBT mock examination centre fee.
However, Ohaekelem argued that the ₦700 registration fee has not been reviewed for about a decade and no longer reflects the financial realities of running CBT centres.
He explained that when he joined the CBT programme in 2016, the cost of registering a candidate was already ₦700, and the amount has remained unchanged despite rising inflation and increasing operational requirements.
According to him, the association now faces additional yearly requirements, changing operational guidelines, and higher logistics costs required to run CBT facilities effectively.
Ohaekelem also highlighted the financial burden of maintaining equipment and infrastructure needed for the centres. He noted that a laptop capable of operating efficiently for about three years costs at least ₦150,000.
He said that if a centre registers about 3,000 candidates, the total amount earned from the ₦700 charge would be about ₦2.1 million, which must also cover staff salaries, diesel for generators, rent, equipment servicing, and repairs.
He added that in Lagos, renting a hall with a 250-seat capacity could cost at least ₦3 million annually, while a centre in Ebute Metta could pay up to ₦5 million yearly for rent alone. When additional expenses such as staffing and fuel are included, the ₦700 fee becomes insufficient to sustain operations.
Ohaekelem further explained that CBT centres are not permitted to collect the registration service charge directly from candidates.
He said the system requires centres to remit the money to JAMB first and then receive reimbursement from the board weekly. According to him, this arrangement creates the impression that the payment is a grant from JAMB, whereas the centres are only receiving funds originally meant for them.
He also emphasised the human resource demands involved in the registration process, stating that centres must employ staff to coordinate candidate registration, supervise examinations, and manage logistics as large numbers of candidates visit the centres daily.
Despite their contribution to the education sector, Ohaekelem said CBT centre operators often feel under-recognised by examination authorities. He revealed that the association wrote to the Minister of Education last year but has yet to receive a response.
Meanwhile, JAMB defended the current fee structure in its bulletin, noting that its cashless registration system has helped reduce abuses, eliminate unauthorised charges, and improve transparency, particularly among privately owned centres.
The board explained that candidates now purchase the UTME ePIN and complete their registration at any accredited centre without making separate payments to the centres.
JAMB also referenced its “No View, No Pay” policy, which ensures that payments are only made to centres whose registration activities can be monitored remotely from the board’s headquarters in Abuja. Centres that experience monitoring issues must resolve them before receiving payment.
According to the board, the policy is part of its broader technological innovations designed to promote transparency, accountability, and compliance with registration guidelines.
Registration for the 2026 UTME closed on February 28, while the examination is scheduled to take place nationwide between April 16 and April 25. Registration for the Direct Entry programme began on March 2 and will continue until April 25.
In a related development, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, clarified the board’s role regarding Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates during a meeting with leaders of the National Association of Polytechnic Students, led by Eshofune Oghayan.
Some HND graduates from part-time or non-regular National Diploma programmes have faced challenges with mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), as eligibility usually requires full-time study for the highest qualification obtained.
Oloyede explained that once candidates complete their National Diploma programmes and proceed to HND admission, the responsibility shifts to the institutions offering the programmes, not JAMB.
He said the board does not admit HND students into polytechnics and therefore does not possess the data required to facilitate their mobilisation into the NYSC scheme.
The registrar added that admissions conducted by JAMB are processed through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), an automated platform designed to improve transparency, restore institutional autonomy, and prevent multiple admissions.
He noted that the system also helps candidates access accurate information about available institutions and programmes while eliminating the challenges associated with manual admission processes.
Oloyede further criticised some “Daily Part-Time” HND programmes and institutions that bypass CAPS procedures, describing such practices as exploitative and one of the reasons NYSC often rejects graduates from unconventional programmes.
He revealed that one institution had reportedly recorded more than 42,000 irregular admission cases.
According to him, adherence to proper admission procedures would prevent such issues, stressing that JAMB will continue working to deliver services that benefit all stakeholders in the education sector.
