The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced adjustments to the arrival and examination times for the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), as the newly appointed Registrar, Professor Segun Aina, unveiled a five-year reform agenda aimed at building trust and reducing trauma for candidates.
Under the new arrangement, candidates scheduled for the first session of the 2027 UTME are expected to arrive at their Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres by 7:30 a.m., instead of the previous 6:30 a.m. reporting time.
The examination for the first session will commence at 8:30 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m.
The adjustment, according to the Aina, was aimed at addressing safety and logistical concerns associated with very early-morning movements by candidates, particularly those travelling considerable distances to their designated CBT centres.
The decision was reached at the 2026 Management and IT Retreat of the board, held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
The retreat, which brought together JAMB management, state coordinators, heads of outstation offices, and other relevant stakeholders, examined issues affecting the conduct of the board’s examinations and overall operations.
According to the board, concerns raised by members of the public about the implications of the previous early arrival time were extensively considered during the retreat.
It said the later arrival time would improve the safety and convenience of candidates and potentially reduce absenteeism arising from difficulties associated with travelling before dawn.
Other examination sessions would subsequently follow in line with the board’s established scheduling arrangements, while the complete 2027 UTME timetable and other arrangements will be communicated by JAMB in due course.
Although the 2027 UTME is still months away, the board said preparations had already commenced, with the objective of leveraging lessons from previous examinations and implementing decisions reached at the retreat to deliver a more efficient, seamless and candidate-friendly exercise.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the retreat, the new JAMB Registrar, Professor Aina, said his administration was committed to building trust and reducing the stress, anxiety and uncertainty experienced by candidates and parents during UTME registration and admission placement.
Aina, who described the retreat as the first major event of his administration, said it provided an opportunity to meet a cross-section of the board’s functionaries under one roof and collectively examine ways of improving its operations and service delivery.
He said: ‘The little we have done in one month is not just my idea but a collective one based on inputs from staff, as I inherited a fantastic institution.’
He stated that JAMB was already a highly reformed, transparent and structurally sound institution with a virile and committed workforce.
He said his administration would consolidate the gains recorded by his predecessors over the past four decades while opening new frontiers and charting a new course for the examination body.
The Registrar identified Integrity, Service, Governance, Technology and Partnerships as the core pillars of his administration’s reform agenda.
He said these were supported by seven flagship initiatives, namely Technology Review, Unified Customer Service, ISO Certification, Paperless Regime, UTME Pre-Registration Mobile App, Strategic Communication and Staff Welfare.
Aina described the initiatives as ‘non-negotiable’, stressing that they were designed to transform the experience of candidates, parents, staff and other stakeholders who interact with the Board.
He said the Board’s strategic roadmap, titled ‘JAMB 2031: Building Trust, Reducing Trauma,’ would guide its development agenda from 2026 to 2031.
‘Our vision is to make JAMB Africa’s most trusted, innovative and accessible assessment and admissions institution, built on strong systems rather than individuals,’ he said.
The Registrar added: ‘Enduring institutions are built on shared values rather than individual personalities.’
He also urged participants at the retreat to contribute meaningfully to the progress of the Board while using the opportunity to bond as a team and family.
Aina said the retreat was not only about reviewing the Board’s operations but also about allowing staff to unwind and prepare for the tasks ahead.
In his goodwill message, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Linkages and Collaboration, Prof. Anthony Eneji Egrinya, congratulated Aina on his appointment as JAMB Registrar.
Egrinya commended the Board for organising the retreat, describing the appointment of a digitally savvy Registrar as an indication of the Federal Government’s commitment to transforming JAMB into a truly digitally compliant agency.
He expressed optimism that the new administration would further strengthen the Board’s technological capacity and improve its services to candidates and other stakeholders.
The retreat therefore marked an early opportunity for the new JAMB leadership to set out its reform direction while beginning preparations for the 2027 UTME, with candidate safety, improved service delivery, technology, transparency and institutional trust at the centre of the agenda.