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•Anxiety as 2m applicants justle for few admission spaces
By Gabriel Dike
The over two million candidates that wrote the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are anxious to know their fate on their chances of securing admission. Some tertiary institutions have conducted post-UTME and admitted fresh students
The institutions commenced the exercise even before the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) released the results of the Computer-Based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (CB-WASSCE) on August 5, 2026. This has resulted in panic among candidates and parents, especially those awaiting results. Many could not upload their WASSCE results to process their admission.
UTME 2026 and admissions
At the last Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Policy Meeting on admissions in Abuja with heads of tertiary institutions, former Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said a successful admission begins with proper registration by following the instructions and institutional requirements such as subject combinations.
He said the board allowed awaiting results candidates to register and sit for UTME, but added: “These candidates can’t be considered for admission on awaiting result status. They must upload their O’level results on the board’s portal before the commencement of the admission exercise.”
According to him, 1, 825, 062 candidates applied for university admissions, “25,755 picked colleges of education, 179, 741 sought for polytechnic education and 1,196 for NID. The top 10 application by state of origin are Oyo 141,727, Ogun 130,360, Osun 124,087, Imo 116, 140, Benue 104,409, Delta 99,687, Kogi 91, 926, Kwara 86,238 and Anambra 84, 704.
“Ten states with low application include Niger 32,762, Bauchi 31,833, Jigawa 30,989, Bayelsa 25,759, Gombe 25,184, Yobe 22, 420, Kebbi 18,812, Sokoto 18,786, Zamfara 16,744 and FCT 7,607.”
CB-WASSCE 2026
Last May, Head, Nigeria National Office (HNO), WAEC, Dr. Amos Dangut, disclosed that 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 schools registered for the CB-WASSCE: “The results will be released 45 days after the last paper, while certificates will be printed and issued to schools within 90 days.”
On Wednesday, August 5, 2026, the council released the results. Out of the 1,950,726 candidates that sat for the exam, 1,687,378 candidates, representing 86.50 per cent, obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects with or without English Language and/ or Mathematics.
Dangut said, “1,200,514 candidates, representing 61.54 per cent, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics. Of this number 558,883 (28.65 per cent) were male candidates, while 641,631 (32.89 per cent) were females.
“A comparison of the percentage of candidates in this category in WASSCE for school 2025 and 2026 revealed that in this year’s WASSCE, there is 1.42 per cent decrease in performance. That is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, was 61.54 per cent.”
The implication is that 38.46 per cent are out of the admission race except they do well in the SSCE conducted by NECO. Even among those with five credits including English and Maths, they are not certain of admission unless government intervened and direct the universities that have not conducted post-UTME to accommodate them in admission exercise.
Many of the SS3 students wrote the 2026 UTME as awaiting result candidates and would require the results for admissions into the tertiary institutions.
For the Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO), over one million candidates sat for the school exam, which ended on July 23, 2026. The results are being awaited.
UTME awaiting result candidates
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Out of 473,450 candidates who scored 200 and above, 371,401 wrote the matriculation examination under awaiting result status, representing 78.45 per cent. Those who scored 190 and above are 661,216, but 517,331 did not upload their results, 180 and above scores recorded 909,684 candidates. However, 712,076 have no WASSCE or SSCE results. Those with 170 and above, are 1,218168 admission seekers. Candidates without results are 955,767, applicants with 160 and above are 1,150,689, awaiting results stood at 1,230,954.
Out of 1,863,279 candidates that scored 150 and above, 1,478,836, representing 78.87 per cent, wrote the UTME as awaiting result applicants, 2,044, 968 candidates obtained 140 and above, 1,629,962, representing 79.71 per cent, did not upload their WASSCE or SSCE results, applicants that obtained 130 and above are 2,108,278. Those with awaiting results stood at 1,683,296.
Statistics also revealed that 2, 120,669 candidates scored 120 and above, 1,693,743 indicated awaiting results. Those with 100 and above are 2,125,408, admission applicants with awaiting results stood at 1,697,683 candidates.
Among the top 10 universities, which are the Lagos State University with 84,426 candidates, University of Lagos (78,240), Obafemi Awolowo University (60,370), University of Ibadan (58,895), University of Benin (55,425), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (54,085), University of Ilorin (52,514), University of Nigeria (51,660), Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (48,272) and University of Port-Harcourt (48,199). Some have conducted the post-UTME with admission ongoing while some have concluded the screening. Others opened their portal for candidates to register.
Candidates, parents’ anxiety
Candidates and parents have every reason to worry about. Over 60 per cent of the candidates sat for the exam as awaiting results candidates. Those who applied for admissions and uploaded their WASSCE and SSCE results stand a better chance of being considered for admissions, provided they have the required five credits.
Damola Olotu, a fresh secondary school leaver: “When I heard about the announcement for the sales of the post-UTME, I became jittery and was concerned about my chances as an awaiting result candidate.
“My dad visited the university to know the fate of awaiting result candidates. I learnt the university is over subscribed and that the proprietor is a strict person. I hope they will wait for some of us who just finished WASSCE a few days ago.”
Chinyere Agu wants to study Nursing in a federal university:
“I am worried about my status and don’t want to miss out on the admission exercise. Part of JAMB criteria is that SS3 can write the UTME as awaiting result candidate. I hope the universities don’t sideline us because of our status.”
Ayorinde Babalola picked a private university in Edo State: “My concern is that I hope there will be spaces for awaiting result candidates when WAEC releases the results in August. The institution is one of the preferred universities by parents and candidates. My course is sought after by many candidates and the quota for admission is about 100. I want to be among the lucky ones.”
Mr. Rasheed Abiodun told Daily Sun that his son applied to a private university, which has announced the commencement of the sale of the post-UTME forms. He said he was talking from experience based on what happened to his pastor’s daughter. She was denied admission because of her awaiting result status. When the parents protested she was offered a less course:
“I want to appeal to the Minister of Education to monitor the exercise to ensure candidates with high scores in the UTME are not denied admission. The anxiety is real and some brilliant students may miss out if the universities, particularly, the private ones conclude admission exercise before WAEC releases the results.”
A trader, Mrs. Rosemary Ibe, said: “My son is anxious about the admission exercise. He sat for the 2026 WASSCE and information from the school indicate the results will be announced in August. He scored 302 for Law and would not want to waste the high score.”
Director, Higher Education Consult, Mr. Edet Effiong, said: “Records from JAMB revealed that over 60 per cent of candidates sought admission as awaiting result applicants either with the public or private universities.
“Many of the universities have announced dates for their post-UTME registration. Some private universities have concluded their admission. Candidates’ and parents are worried because by the time WAEC and NECO release their results, candidates will be at disadvantage.”
A school administrator (name withheld) in Lagos told Daily Sun that his school platform is awash with comments about the fate of awaiting results candidates in the 2026 admission exercise: “Two parents narrated their experiences. When they visited their wards first choice universities (private) in Osun State, they were told that the institutions cannot wait for the exam bodies to release their results.
“Some parents who realised earlier about the situation, visited JAMB offices and CBT centres to change institutions and courses for their wards. Others are hoping the government will intervene.”
Some private universities started admission in June with candidates with WASSCE or SSCE results. While some private universities have concluded admissions, few public universities have released their first batch admission lists.
For the polytechnics, few institutions have announced the dates for registration of post-UTME but have not conducted the test.
