2027 UTME: Think Tank Urges JAMB to Release Admission and Access Data

A higher education policy organisation, iRead To Live Initiative, has called on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to publish detailed data on tertiary admissions and candidates’ performance ahead of the 2027 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The organisation made the call in its first policy brief, titled “The Admissions Gap: Who Gets into Nigeria’s Tertiary Institutions, and Why It Matters,” released in August 2026.

Think Tank Wants More Transparent JAMB Data

The iRead To Live Initiative urged the newly appointed JAMB Registrar, Professor Segun Aina, to make admission and examination data available in an aggregated and anonymised format.

According to the organisation, making the information publicly accessible would help policymakers, tertiary institutions, researchers and other stakeholders better understand the challenges affecting access to higher education in Nigeria.

The group recommended that the data should be broken down according to state, local government area, geopolitical zone, gender, subject and institution. It also called for the information to be presented using clear definitions and machine-readable tables.

The Executive Director of iRead To Live Initiative, Jacob Sule, said JAMB already collects much of the required information during registration and admission processes.

He argued that responsibly publishing the data would make it easier for government agencies, universities and independent researchers to identify areas where barriers to tertiary education are most concentrated.

Call for Transparency on UTME Cut-Off Marks

The think tank also asked JAMB to make public the evidence and considerations used in determining the agreed UTME minimum cut-off mark.

It argued that Nigerians should be able to understand the basis for decisions that can directly affect candidates’ chances of gaining admission into tertiary institutions.

According to the organisation, access to this information could also provide useful insight into national education priorities, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM fields.

JAMB Asked to Publish Annual Admission Report

Another major recommendation is for JAMB to introduce an annual Admissions and Access Report after every admission cycle.

The report, according to the group, should reconcile the number of applicants admitted with the approved capacity of individual tertiary institutions.

The initiative said this would help prevent different interpretations of the same admission cycle arising from separate JAMB datasets.

It wants JAMB to provide consistent year-on-year statistics showing admission figures, institutional capacity and how effectively available spaces are being utilised.

Over 700,000 Admission Spaces Unused in 2025

The policy brief highlighted figures from the 2025 admission cycle, stating that 1,009,736 out of 1,716,154 approved tertiary admission spaces were filled nationwide.

This left 706,418 approved spaces unused.

The overall admission-space utilisation rate was put at 58.8 per cent. Universities recorded a higher fill rate of 74 per cent, while polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions recorded a combined rate of 34.3 per cent.

The organisation said the figures suggest that Nigeria’s tertiary education challenge is more complex than simply having too few admission spaces.

Instead, it argued that there may be a mismatch between available spaces and candidates’ preferred courses, qualifications and ability to access particular institutions.

More Data Needed to Understand Admission Gaps

The iRead To Live Initiative cautioned that the available figures alone do not provide a complete picture of the country’s higher education access challenges.

It called for JAMB to release additional information, including candidates’ score distributions and data relating to access to computer-based testing (CBT) facilities.

According to the organisation, such information would help stakeholders understand whether examination performance, geographical location, infrastructure or other factors contribute to unequal access to tertiary education.

Think Tank Raises Concerns Over BYOD Testing

The group also urged JAMB to carefully pilot and independently assess its proposed Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach before considering any nationwide implementation.

It recommended that any pilot programme should undergo independent penetration testing and have publicly available standards covering devices, cybersecurity and equity.

The initiative stressed that candidates who do not own suitable personal devices should not be placed at a disadvantage if JAMB moves towards a BYOD model.

Call for Wider CBT Support

The organisation further recommended expanding access to CBT facilities and readiness support across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

It also proposed a free preparation module that would be accessible to all candidates.

However, it cautioned that completing such a preparation programme should never become a condition for registration, particularly for candidates who may have difficulty accessing the materials.

New JAMB Leadership Faces 2027 UTME Preparations

The recommendations come as Professor Segun Aina begins his tenure as JAMB Registrar and oversees preparations for the 2027 UTME.

Aina, a professor of Computer Engineering, assumed office at the end of July 2026 following the completion of Professor Is-haq Oloyede’s statutory tenure.

The think tank said the change in leadership provides an opportunity for JAMB to strengthen existing reforms in admissions and computer-based testing while improving transparency around examination and admission data.

JAMB Registered Over 2.2 Million Candidates for 2026 UTME

According to figures cited in the policy brief, JAMB registered 2,243,816 candidates for the 2026 UTME.

However, the organisation noted that the 2026 admission cycle had not been completed when its policy brief was published.

The group maintained that the 2025 admission figures already provide enough evidence for JAMB and other education stakeholders to begin investigating why hundreds of thousands of approved admission spaces remain unused while many young Nigerians continue to face difficulties accessing tertiary education.

The debate over admission capacity, candidate preferences, examination performance and equitable access is therefore expected to remain an important issue as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 UTME cycle.