By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
Candidates seeking to sit for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) from Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State are estimated to spend between N180,000 and N200,000 to write the examination.
This follows the delisting of the only JAMB-approved Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre in the local government.
The PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has delisted the centre in line with its new guidelines for the 2026 UTME. According to the guidelines, examination towns with fewer than three accredited CBT centres are not eligible to host UTME registration or examinations.
The development has generated public outcry among residents, who say the decision has placed a heavy financial burden on parents.
Speaking during a peaceful protest in Gembu, residents told our correspondent that candidates would now be compelled to spend at least N180,000–N200,000, considering the long distances required to access the nearest CBT centres.
“Our children may now be forced to spend between N180,000 and N200,000 to register and sit for the 2026 UTME due to a new policy introduced by JAMB,” the parents said.
They explained that the delisting of the only CBT centre in Sardauna LGA would force candidates to travel to neighbouring local governments for both registration and the examination.
“You cannot leave Sardauna for any other local government in Taraba State and return the same day,” they added.
The parents identified transportation and accommodation costs as the major challenges and appealed to relevant authorities to intervene and reverse the decision.
According to their estimates, candidates travelling from Ndum-Yaji and Bang through Gembu to Bali LGA may spend about N98,700 on transportation, accommodation, and registration, and a similar amount for the examination itself. Those from Kan Iyaka may spend about N108,700, while candidates from Mbamnga and Gembu town may spend approximately N68,700 and N62,700, respectively.
The parents described the situation as discouraging, given the economic realities faced by many families in the local government.
They called on the Taraba State Ministry of Education to engage JAMB authorities to reconsider the decision and avert what they described as its harsh effects on candidates and parents.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Taraba State Commissioner for Education, Dr Augustina Godwin, were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to calls as of the time of filing this report.
