The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has extended the sale of its 2026 Direct Entry application to May 8, 2026, and opened five more registration centres across the country to ease access for applicants. The move, announced on Wednesday by Fabian Benjamin, is meant to keep more prospective candidates from missing out on tertiary education opportunities.
Benjamin said the board took the decision to accommodate more applicants and reduce pressure on high-demand registration points. He said the extension was part of the board’s push to make sure no Direct Entry candidate is shut out of the process.
The five additional centres include the Centre for Open and Distance Learning at the University of Ilorin in Kwara, Bells University of Technology in Ota, Olabisi Onabanjo University Centre 1 in Ago-Iwoye, the Prof. Usman E-Learning Centre at the Federal College of Education (Special) in Oyo, and Human Development Initiatives (Grace House) in Lagos. Human Development Initiatives (Grace House) is scheduled to begin operations on April 30, 2026.
The extension comes as the 2026 Direct Entry registration exercise continues, with JAMB saying all Professional Registration Centres and Professional Testing Centres nationwide remain open during the period. The added centres are aimed at easing congestion in locations where demand has been highest, a practical fix that shows the board is trying to widen access before the May 8 deadline closes the window.
For applicants still trying to register, the answer is now clear: the deadline has moved, the extra centres are open, and JAMB is keeping the system running for longer so more candidates can get through.
