The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have reached a landmark agreement aimed at improving lecturers' welfare, restoring industrial harmony and ensuring uninterrupted academic calendars in federal universities. Unveilling the pact in Abuja, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described it as a historic turning point capable of rebuilding trust and confidence in Nigeria's university system after decades of strikes and instability. The agreement has drawn commendation from stakeholders, including the National Association of Nigerian Student (NANS), the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) and the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), though some expressed reservations.

The sales of application forms by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) have started for admissions into the 2026/2027 academic session.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has ordered the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and other tertiary institutions involved in irregular admission practices to immediately reverse such admissions with immediate effect.

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) agreed on a new framework on Sunday, aimed at ensuring industrial harmony and enhancing teaching and learning conditions in the Country’s tertiary institutions, an understanding expected to foster sustainable development across Nigeria’s university system.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a new policy mandating schools to use standardized, durable textbooks designed to remain in circulation for four to six years, and officially banned the use of the long-criticized practice of attaching disposable workbooks to textbooks.

On Monday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced that there are no plans to raise the present fees for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Candidates applying for the UTME or Direct Entry (DE) into universities will continue to pay N3500 for the Computer-Based Test, along with a service charge of N700.

In a statement by the Board captioned “No Likely Increase In UTME/DE Application Fees As JAMB Maintains Stable Cost Regime” stated that, “the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) wishes to inform Nigerians, particularly parents, guardians, and prospective candidates, that the Board has not increased the cost of its application documents, whether for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) or Direct Entry (DE), in the last nine years, rather the Board has reduced the registration fee for prospective candidates within the nine years of the existence of the current administration.

“The Board further assures the public that it is unlikely to increase the cost of application documents for the 2026 UTME/DE exercise, except where it becomes absolutely expedient to do so in the overriding interest of sustaining the integrity and quality of the examination process in the future.

“This position is in line with the continued directive of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, conveyed through the Honorable Minister of Education, that the activities of the Board must at all times be guided by the present administration’s human-face policies, with due consideration for the prevailing economic realities faced by Nigerian families.”

JAMB explained that the statement was intended to assist parents and guardians in planning their Ward’s education, adding that the cost incurred in processing the registration exercise for 2026 is mostly unchanged from last year.

The Board urged parents and guardians to plan and ensure their children register on time, warning that the registration period will not be extended once it begins.

The statement added that, “Despite this downward review of fees, the Board has continued to operate efficiently and prudently, resulting in substantial remittances to the Federal Government over the years. This underscores JAMB’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and effective public-sector financial management.

“JAMB remains committed to fairness, transparency, and affordability while sustaining global best practices in the conduct of its examinations.”