CBT centre owners protest UTME registration fee of ₦700, saying rising costs make the charge inadequate despite JAMB’s ₦1.57bn payout

The Computer-Based Test Centres Proprietors Association of Nigeria has raised concerns over the UTME registration fee paid to accredited centres, describing the ₦700 service charge as grossly inadequate amid rising operational costs.

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President of the association, Austin Ohaekelem, voiced the concern on Monday shortly after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board announced the disbursement of ₦1.57 billion to CBT centres for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination registration exercise.

The payment represents the ₦700 registration service charge collected from candidates on behalf of CBT centres and remitted weekly alongside ePIN registration charges, according to a bulletin issued by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin.

“In line with this arrangement, the Board has remitted a total sum of ₦1,570,671,200 to the CBT centres that participated in the 2026 UTME registration exercise,” the statement said.

Despite the payment, Ohaekelem insisted the UTME registration fee allocated to centres no longer reflects the realities of running CBT facilities.

“The cost of registering a candidate as of 2016, when I joined the CBT programme, was ₦700. Ten years later, it is still ₦700,” he said, noting that operational requirements, logistics and inflation have significantly increased expenses.

He cited the rising cost of equipment and facility management, explaining that a laptop capable of serving a centre for three years now costs at least ₦150,000. Centres also bear additional expenses such as staff salaries, diesel, rent, equipment servicing and repairs.

“In Lagos, a 250-capacity hall costs no less than ₦3 million annually, while my centre in Ebute Metta costs about ₦5 million per year,” he said. “By the time you account for staff and fuel, the ₦700 registration fee barely covers costs.”

Ohaekelem further explained that centres are not permitted to collect the fee directly from candidates. Instead, they remit the payment to JAMB during registration and receive reimbursement later.

“We were originally meant to collect the ₦700 directly, but we now pay it to JAMB first before it is refunded weekly. It then looks like the board is giving us a grant, which is not the case,” he said.

The association’s president also highlighted the human resource demands involved in managing the registration process and supervising the examinations.

“We must hire staff to coordinate registration, supervise the exams and manage logistics. Candidates crowd into centres, and personnel must be on duty throughout,” he added.

Ohaekelem lamented that despite their role in Nigeria’s education system, CBT operators are often treated as pressure groups rather than partners by examination authorities.

He disclosed that the association had written to the Minister of Education last year over the issue but had yet to receive a response.

JAMB, however, defended its fee structure, stating that the cashless registration system introduced by the board has reduced abuse, curbed unauthorised charges and improved transparency, especially in privately owned centres.

Under the system, candidates purchase the UTME ePIN and register at any accredited centre without making separate payments to operators.

The board also operates a “No View, No Pay” policy, under which payments to centres are withheld if registration activities cannot be monitored remotely from its headquarters in Abuja.

According to JAMB, the monitoring mechanism forms part of broader technological innovations designed to strengthen accountability and ensure compliance with registration guidelines.

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Registration for the 2026 UTME closed on February 28, with examinations scheduled nationwide from April 16 to April 25. The Direct Entry registration exercise began on March 2 and will run until April 25.