The 2026 free Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) e-PIN distribution programme commenced yesterday in Ekiti State, offering 3,400 students complimentary access to registration for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, wife of the state governor, officiated the scheme's inauguration in Ado Ekiti, charging recipients to justify the intervention through dedication and outstanding performance in their forthcoming examinations.

During the ceremony, Dr Oyebanji stressed that the assistance provided demands corresponding responsibility from beneficiaries, noting that their achievements would reflect positively on their households, advance the state's developmental trajectory and serve as motivation for peers pursuing educational advancement. She revealed that the administration has sustained an annual distribution of 3,000 JAMB forms, describing the effort as central to Governor Biodun Oyebanji's strategy for youth empowerment and human capacity enhancement.

She remarked that "Under the purposeful and visionary leadership of Governor Oyebanji, the government has continued to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to human capital development, with education occupying a central place in its development agenda. This administration has consistently pursued policies and programmes that remove barriers to learning and ensure every child has the opportunity to optimise his or her potential."

Dr Oyebanji explained that furnishing candidates with free JAMB e-PINs for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) surpasses simple registration assistance, constituting a strategic measure to expand access and validate the principle that every diligent and capable Ekiti youth warrants genuine opportunity for tertiary education.

Chief Moji Fafure, Chairperson of the Agency for Adult and Non-Formal Education, commended the gesture as demonstrable evidence of governmental sensitivity to public educational needs. Prof. Akeem Azeez, Special Adviser to the Governor on Tertiary Education, Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, Head of Service, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, Commissioner for Information, and Dr. Bimpe Aderiye, Commissioner for Education, collectively applauded the administration's persistent commitment to supporting economically challenged students statewide.