The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has disclosed that over 11,553 underage candidates have registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Oloyede made this revelation on Friday in Lagos while inspecting approved computer-based test (CBT) centres where candidates are currently undergoing registration.

Providing an update on the registration figures, Oloyede stated that a total of 782,027 candidates have been registered within the last 10 days.

“As of now, we have registered 782,027 candidates, of which 11,553 are underage. This data is being recorded in real-time across the country. We anticipate registering two million candidates, and we are not yet at the 14th day of the process.

“By Monday, we will have reached the 14th day, and at that point, we expect to have registered over one million candidates. So far, the process has been smooth,” he said.

Highlighting the daily statistics, Oloyede noted that 443 underage candidates were registered on Friday alone, while 18,813 candidates successfully completed their registration that morning.

“Today alone, 443 underage candidates have been registered. Out of the 18,813 candidates registered this morning, 443 are underage. This year, we introduced a system that allows us to identify and track underage candidates.

“This initiative will help us understand their circumstances and even identify those who may be genuinely gifted but still underage,” he explained.

Addressing the increasing trend of parents enrolling their children early, he remarked, “It has become common for parents, whether mothers or fathers, to register their underage children, sometimes due to societal pressure or other reasons.”

Oloyede further discussed the overall registration process, acknowledging both its progress and delays as noted in an official statement released earlier in the week.

Speaking on technical challenges, he said, “You were here last year. Compare the situation now and observe if there are power outages or network failures. Recent technical measures have slightly slowed down the process.”

While admitting the delays, he assured that the situation is under control. He also pointed out the tendency of Nigerians to prioritize speed over efficiency.

“No, it’s not just slow. Nigerians generally want things done their way. Look at these students. In other countries, they register on their own. No one does it for them,” he said.

He stressed the importance of ensuring a thorough system, adding that while assistance is available for students during registration, many do not take the process seriously.

“Observe their attitude. Even when we provide personnel to assist with enrollment—a task they should handle independently—some students are still inattentive,” he stated.

To address these challenges, Oloyede revealed new measures aimed at ensuring candidates actively engage with the registration process.

“We have implemented safety mechanisms. For instance, candidates are required to read and acknowledge certain rules before proceeding. Previously, they could simply click 'I agree' to move forward, but now, we have introduced a time delay to ensure they actually read the instructions before proceeding,” he added.

Despite these hurdles, he highlighted the significant progress in the registration process.

“This is the first time we are registering over 80,000 candidates per day. Yesterday alone, we registered close to 100,000 candidates nationwide, even though our initial daily target was 60,000.

“By the third day of registration, we were already handling 80,000 to 90,000 candidates daily, which means we will complete the process well ahead of schedule,” Oloyede concluded.