By Achile Danjuma
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially announced the opening of sales for the 2026 Direct Entry (DE) application documents.
In a statement released on Monday, the Board confirmed that registration commenced on Monday, 2 March 2026, and is scheduled to close on Saturday, 25 April 2026.
JAMB emphasized that, unlike the UTME registration, the purchase of application e-PINs and the submission of forms for the Direct Entry programme will be conducted strictly at physical locations. Candidates are required to complete their registration exclusively at JAMB’s accredited state and zonal offices throughout the country.
“2026 Direct Entry Registration: This is to inform prospective DE applicants that the sale of application documents has commenced today, Monday, 2 March 2026, and will end on Saturday, 25 April 2026,” the Board stated. “Please note that this service can be accessed only at our offices nationwide.”
The Direct Entry programme serves as an alternative route for university admission, designed for candidates who hold recognised qualifications beyond the secondary school level.
This allows them to bypass the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and gain direct admission into the 200-level of university programmes. Eligible qualifications include the National Diploma (ND), Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB), A-level certificates, and other approved equivalent qualifications.
Prospective applicants are advised to visit the nearest JAMB office to initiate the process.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board is the Nigerian government agency responsible for the conduct of matriculation examinations for entry into all tertiary institutions in the country.