The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, has charged examination officials of the Board to demonstrate maximum commitment and dedication in the discharge of their duties, stressing that the success of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) depends largely on their performance.
Prof. Oloyede gave the charge during the virtual final briefing for Technical Officers ahead of the 2026 UTME, where he noted that the level of success recorded during the recently-concluded Mock-UTME was largely attributable to the dedication of officials, who took their assignments seriously.
He commended members of staff, ad-hoc personnel, service providers, and technical advisors for their commitment, urging them not to relent but to intensify their efforts towards ensuring a seamless examination exercise.
While assessing the conduct of the mock examination, the Registrar observed that most of the challenges encountered at examination centres stemmed from the failure of some technical officials to conduct thorough assessments of their assigned centres before, during, and after the exercise.
As part of disciplinary measures, he announced the delisting of 11 technical officers from the examination exercise for poor performance in the discharge of their duties, adding that further sanctions would be imposed upon conclusion of ongoing investigations.
Prof. Oloyede further disclosed that incentives would be given to teams that perform exceptionally well based on criteria such as prompt upload and download of examination materials, accurate documentation, and timely submission of reports. According to him, the incentive scheme is intended to motivate personnel, who dedicate themselves to the successful conduct of the Board’s examinations, while also reinforcing the importance of their role in advancing the goals of the nation’s education sector.
The Registrar also revealed that, as usual, the Board had deployed cutting-edge technology to curb all forms of examination malpractice that could compromise the integrity of the examination process. He, therefore, urged officials to remain vigilant at all times, noting that examination infractions could occur through various means and methods.
On the issue of unverified candidates, Prof. Oloyede stated that the names of candidates, who could not be verified and had been flagged by the Board, would be collated and scheduled to sit their examinations at designated centres approved by the Board.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Director of Information Technology Services, Mrs. Fumilola B. Usman, called on all officials to work in synergy, stressing that the success or failure of the examination exercise depends on teamwork and effective collaboration among all personnel.
The success or failure of this examination hinges on the ability of all officers to work together as a team, with everyone doing their best. There must be proper synergy between officers from the Headquarters and those in the field, including key officials and ad-hoc staff. Any challenge encountered should be promptly communicated through the designated helplines for swift resolution,” she said.
Mrs. Usman further charged all officers to be diligent and take their responsibilities seriously, warning that no excuses for negligence would be entertained.
The briefing was attended by over 800 examination officials, including Technical Officers, State Technical Advisors, Chief Technical Advisors, and other examination personnel.
Presentations were made by the Director, Quality Assurance Department, Mr. Danladi Mohammed, and the Board’s IT Consultant, Mr. Damilola Bamiro, on the importance of accurate reporting, duties of examination officials, and the checklist for a hitch-free examination.
The Director, Test Administration Department, Mrs. Pius Ville, who gave the closing remarks, thanked the officials for their attention and urged that all hands must be on deck for a successful 2026 UTME.