“I’ve by no means used a laptop computer earlier than”: UTME candidate fears failing

Tamunotonye was born preterm. Docs instructed his mom he won’t survive previous the fourth day. She had endured an extended labour and had been bleeding closely. His father, a Christian missionary, was away at a campaign in a village in Bayelsa, a riverside state in southern Nigeria. There was no community to succeed in him.

“My mom stated she named me Tamunotonye, which implies ‘Present from God’ in Ibani, as a result of nobody believed I might nonetheless be right here,” he stated in an interview with TechCabal over the weekend.

Tamunotonye turned 16 final December. He lives in Borokiri, a fishing city on Nigeria’s oil-rich Bonny Island in Rivers State. His childhood, he famous, has been laborious.

“I learnt early that nobody was coming to avoid wasting me, so I used to be decided to make one thing out of my life,” he stated, his voice deep, nearly hurried.

When he was eight, he went into the muddy bushes of his village with different youngsters to choose periwinkles. Others wore rain boots, however he went in barefoot and sustained a deep minimize that has left a scar to this present day.

He would go in with an empty yellow custard bucket, fill it with periwinkles, and stroll to the sting of the bush the place massive sacks had been stored. He made a number of journeys till one sack was full. He would then carry it to a picket canoe stationed by the shore, empty the contents, decide up one other sack, and begin once more.

“At that age, I might fill three large sacks. Individuals used to surprise how I managed,” he recalled with a short chuckle.

Again house, his mom would prepare dinner the periwinkles. Collectively, they eliminated the shells earlier than sending them to Bonny Fundamental Market or Cool Seaside to be bought to wholesalers.

“I might not say it was profitable, nevertheless it places meals on the desk as a result of Dad doesn’t herald a lot revenue. He doesn’t earn a wage. He lives off donations and an irregular stipend from his mission,” he added.

Tamunotonye’s mom, Evelyn, ran a small kiosk. She had been apprenticed to a weaver however by no means accomplished her coaching.

“I was a weaver. You see these large wrappers worn for conventional weddings in riverside communities in Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, even Akwa Ibom and elements of the South-East? I used to be studying the way to make them. I enrolled to be taught from my stepmother’s youthful sister, however I couldn’t end. It’s an extended and painful story,” she recounted to TechCabal over the phone on Sunday afternoon.

“I don’t know what I might have accomplished if not for this son of mine. He could be cussed typically, however I see that he desires to make one thing out of his life, and all I do is assist him so he can have the life I couldn’t give myself.”

Her household has at all times struggled to outlive. Tamunotonye’s older siblings are distant. His elder brother isn’t with them.

When requested about his whereabouts, Tamunotonye stated, “I don’t know the place he’s. Some say he’s in Lagos. Some say Abuja. However I do know he’s working, and he sends some cash house on occasion. The load on him, I need to admit, is an excessive amount of.”

He has an elder sister who, he stated, is unwell. He’s the youngest.

The lengthy, lengthy street

“Going by way of college was a wrestle,” he famous. “My mom and I did no matter it took to make issues work, nevertheless it was laborious. It has been laborious.”

He attended a non-public main college in the principle city. A member from one of many branches of a church his father pastored paid his tuition for some time. When that assist stopped as a result of the benefactor moved away, he stayed house for nearly a yr. He was in Main 4 when he paused his education.

He later joined his friends to sit down the Main Six Frequent Entrance Examination and obtained his First Faculty Leaving Certificates.

All through his main training, he by no means noticed a laptop computer up shut, a lot much less used one.

“The closest I’ve been to a laptop computer was when my elder brother returned for a household funeral in 2022 or 2023. I attempted to go looking his bag for his fragrance, and he caught me. I noticed his laptop computer and moved it round as I searched. That’s it.”

This yr, he registered for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the first gateway to larger training in Nigeria. It’s a computer-based take a look at. It has been so since 2015.

Organised yearly by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Nigeria’s admissions physique, the examination assesses the eligibility of senior secondary college graduates for admission into universities, polytechnics and schools of training within the nation. For the 2026 UTME, all the course of, from registration to examination, has been formed by technological, administrative and integrity issues, reflecting each progress and protracted challenges.

Formally, the 2026 UTME registration commenced on January 26, 2026, in any respect accredited Laptop-Based mostly Check (CBT) centres nationwide.

The train ended on February 28, 2026. This was after JAMB gave candidates over one month to finish all steps, together with biometric seize, doc uploads and topic choice.

Earlier than registration, candidates should get hold of a JAMB ePIN, which serves as the applying voucher. The sale of ePINs for the UTME ran from January 19 to February 26, 2026.

JAMB maintained a strict cashless registration system, requiring candidates to pay electronically by way of accredited channels. There have been three major worth classes for ePINs: UTME registration with out the mock examination, UTME with mock examination, and Direct Entry for candidates with prior {qualifications}.

The board additionally famous that registration might solely happen at accredited CBT centres authorised by JAMB. Candidates had been warned towards unapproved brokers or centres, which regularly create confusion and improve the danger of irregularities.

‘Why I wish to sit UTME this yr’

Tamunotonye left secondary college in June 2024, however college was not an choice.

“My mom stated she couldn’t afford to ship me,” he defined. Regardless of the setback, he was decided to proceed his training. He desires of turning into a instructor.

“I really feel we’d like extra good lecturers who really care about their pupils,” he stated. His elder brother had instructed legislation. He likes the thought, however his coronary heart is elsewhere. “I really wish to be a instructor or a pastor like my father. He is an effective man,” he added.

When he couldn’t sit the UTME in 2025 like his friends, he returned to his group to help lecturers at a authorities secondary college. He marked scripts, wrote lesson notes and typically took the register. It was a brief, unofficial function, nevertheless it allowed him to earn ₦10,000 ($7) month-to-month.

Quickly, he started providing personal classes to college students getting ready for the Frequent Entrance Examination and the West African Senior Faculty Certificates Examination. By means of this work, he saved cash and, with further assist from his household, registered for the UTME this yr.

“It was scary as a result of I didn’t inform my household that the cash I used to be asking for was for the UTME. I simply needed to strive my luck, as a result of I do know that even when I get admitted, I’ll not have the cash to see it by way of,” he stated. His eldest brother suggested him to attend one other yr so the household might higher put together, however Tamunotonye is stressed.

“This place is a village. To get to my group from the principle city, I’ve to make use of an area boat. I’m simply uninterested in this place,” he stated, his voice cracking with longing.

His ambitions are clear: he desires to check in Port Harcourt or Abuja.

“If I move, I might achieve admission into Rivers State College, Ignatius Ajuru College of Training or the College of Port Harcourt.”

“I simply wish to go to high school. But when I fail the UTME, that dream will solely be a pipe dream. And I wish to make one thing out of my life.”

Of those that do end secondary, solely about 10 to 12% go on to enroll in tertiary establishments.

That leaves roughly 30 to 45 younger individuals who end secondary college however by no means proceed to tertiary training both due to value, restricted house, or different boundaries. 

No private electronic mail, no smartphone

The registration course of, Tamunotonye recounts, was intimidating. He used his elder brother’s electronic mail as a result of he doesn’t have one in every of his personal.

“I attempted to open one in every of my very own, however the course of was too complicated. I don’t also have a SIM card of my very own, and I didn’t have the time to undergo all these steps, so my brother’s electronic mail was the best choice,” he defined.

He additionally stated he doesn’t have a cellphone of his personal.

“I received an outdated Android from my brother after I left secondary college. It has some display screen and battery points, however I handle. Just lately, he requested me to return it as a result of the one he’s presently utilizing is dangerous,” he stated. 

He joined a WhatsApp group on that cellphone to be taught. He watches YouTube movies to organize for the UTME. Nonetheless, worry looms.

“I really feel ashamed to say it, however after I was on the cybercafé, I questioned how this stuff, these laptop methods labored. I needed I owned a laptop computer, even simply to practise till the examination is over,” he stated.

He has by no means used a desktop laptop. He needed to enrol in a pc college, however charges and transport prices had been prohibitive.

“My pal from church stated I might watch YouTube movies, nevertheless it’s not the identical,” he famous, sighing intermittently. “I don’t know the way to use a mouse. I’ve learnt that I’ve to for the examination. This complete factor scares me, however I can not ask anybody to purchase me a laptop computer. Who would wish to try this at this level? The place would I discover the cash?”

Combat or flight?

Tamunotonye’s life is a negotiation between ambition and circumstance — every day break up between survival and preparation for a future he should wrestle into being.

He tutors, runs errands and helps his mom on the kiosk. Nights are for examine. Each spare second is spent imagining life past Bonny Island.

“My mom has struggled to place meals on the desk. I’ve to struggle not only for myself however for her too,” he says.

The UTME is a gateway. Failure means delay; success, a step towards freedom and independence.

In his village, alternative is scarce. Getting to high school is an extended, harmful ordeal: from the principle city, he boards an area boat house.

The examination is unforgiving; errors on the keyboard value marks. He has weeks to organize, however few instruments. A laptop computer is a luxurious.

Nonetheless, Tamunotonye finds methods to bridge the hole. He observes, memorises and practises in fragments. He leans on creativeness as a device.

“I watch YouTube movies. I see how individuals sort. I even speak to myself, pretending I’m taking the take a look at,” he says. “It isn’t excellent. It isn’t sufficient. However that’s all I’ve.”

Tamunotonye has by no means taken a computer-based take a look at earlier than, not even a apply one.

“I learnt there’s a mock examination, however I didn’t pay for it,” he says. “I’m attempting to handle the cash I’ve in case JAMB sends me to a distant location. There is just one centre I do know in Bonny, the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gasoline.

“I heard there’s one other, however I’m not positive. In the event that they ship me to Port Harcourt, I’ll want not less than ₦50,000 ($37.04)  — simply to get there, pay for lodging and return house.”

JAMB assigns candidates to accredited CBT centres primarily based on out there house and their chosen examination cities, notifying them once they print their slips, although some have been posted to distant areas.

He doesn’t have dependable entry to a pc or a CBT centre the place he can practise. A former classmate provided to let him practise on his father’s desktop laptop. That, for now, is his solely hope.

“However I’m scared I would fail,” he admits.

His fear is not only about unfamiliar {hardware}; it’s the complete format: time administration, navigating questions, and submitting solutions. All the things is digital.

“I’ve not written a CBT examination earlier than. My West African Senior Faculty Certificates Examination was pen and paper. I couldn’t even open a easy electronic mail handle for myself,” he says in a mocking tone. 

“That’s how dangerous it’s. The SIM card I’m utilizing was registered by my mom. All I actually learn about utilizing computer systems or digital methods is my cellphone, and that information ends at my browser and social media, particularly YouTube.”

Assist, preparation, sources

In response to the digital actuality many candidates face, significantly these with restricted laptop publicity, a number of on-line platforms and edtech providers have expanded their assist for UTME preparation.

Myschool and different digital training suppliers have launched on-line tutorials and revision supplies, together with mock checks and topic walkthroughs, to assist candidates familiarise themselves with the CBT format.

Candidates are additionally inspired to benefit from official JAMB supplies, such because the beneficial studying textual content, The Lekki Headmaster by Kabir Alabi Garba, which types a part of the English examination element, and to seek the advice of the board’s official registration pointers.

Regardless of these updates, the shift to a completely computer-based course of continues to reveal structural challenges inside Nigeria’s training system. The hole highlights deeper questions on digital literacy, entry to know-how and equitable preparation alternatives for all candidates.

JAMB has taken steps to streamline procedures, implement compliance and enhance the credibility of its processes. Nonetheless, the board’s potential to make sure truthful entry to preparation sources stays tied to broader problems with academic infrastructure, digital penetration and fairness inside Nigeria’s education system.

Nigeria’s digital divide

As Nigeria’s training system steadily transitions in the direction of technology-dependent assessments, such because the CBT format used for examinations just like the 2026 UTME, a stark digital divide has emerged.

Hundreds of thousands of younger Nigerians sit essential checks that require laptop expertise they’ve by no means had the chance to amass. The digital divide isn’t unintentional; it’s rooted in restricted entry to digital units, infrastructure and connectivity for a big share of the inhabitants.

Regardless of the rising significance of digital literacy, fewer than one in 5 households in Nigeria owns a pc.

In accordance with a World Financial institution-supported report, solely about 9.4% of households nationwide personal a pc. In city areas, the determine rises to round 16%, however in rural communities it falls to as little as 3%. In lots of distant or underserved areas, college students don’t have any entry to laptops or desktop computer systems at house for studying or take a look at preparation.

This lack of entry compounds academic inequalities. A scholar rising up in a rural city or peri-urban settlement might by no means have had the possibility to practise with a keyboard, navigate an internet browser or full assignments digitally — expertise that are actually assumed in lots of examinations and educational programmes.

Why digital units matter greater than ever

Computer systems and laptops are greater than examination instruments; they’re gateways to data, studying platforms and employment alternatives.

Nonetheless, when so few Nigerian households have entry to those instruments, massive segments of the inhabitants are left behind in an more and more digital world. Experiences point out that solely about 34.6percentof households have web entry at house, a determine that features smartphone use but in addition highlights how restricted mounted broadband or Wi-Fi penetration stays.

For learners in rural areas, the state of affairs is rather more troublesome. Many faculties lack not solely web connectivity but in addition fundamental laptop laboratories. 

A report by The Guardian (Nigeria) describes lecture rooms in some communities with out electrical energy or Web entry, underscoring the hole between digital inclusion targets and actuality on the bottom.

Web penetration is rising. However, how even?

Nigeria’s web footprint is increasing quickly. As of early 2025, there have been an estimated 142 million web subscribers, with broadband penetration charges nearing 48%. This marks a big enchancment during the last decade and demonstrates rising demand for digital providers in training, commerce and leisure.

But these nationwide averages conceal large disparities. In rural areas, infrastructure challenges—comparable to unreliable electrical energy and restricted community protection—imply that even when a household owns a laptop computer or smartphone, it might be troublesome to make use of it successfully for studying or examinations.

The fee barrier

Financial boundaries deepen the digital divide. In Nigeria’s shopper electronics market, brand-new entry-level laptops usually begin at round ₦350,000 ($259.26), whereas higher-performance fashions steadily value greater than ₦1 million ($7,407.41).

These worth factors place laptops past the attain of many households, significantly exterior the key cities. 

Even used or refurbished laptops, which might provide a extra reasonably priced different, usually value over ₦100,000 ($74.07) in lots of markets. 

For households with modest month-to-month incomes and excessive residing prices, investing in a private laptop represents a big monetary burden. Consequently, many younger individuals getting ready for computer-based checks have by no means really used a laptop computer earlier than.

Faculty infrastructure and the urban-rural divide

Whereas some personal and well-funded faculties in city centres boast laptop laboratories and digital studying areas, many public faculties, significantly in rural areas like Tamunotonye’s, don’t. Dependable nationwide statistics on the variety of faculties with out computer systems are missing, however longstanding accounts from educators and digital inclusion advocates persistently emphasise that college laptop infrastructure stays sparse and uneven.

Efforts to introduce laptop training have been hampered by poor upkeep, a scarcity of skilled lecturers, and an inconsistent electrical energy provide. Many faculties that had been as soon as geared up with just a few desktop computer systems have seen them rendered unusable resulting from neglect.

Cell phone possession in Nigeria is comparatively excessive in contrast with laptop possession, with the vast majority of households having not less than one gadget. Nonetheless, whereas helpful for communication and Web entry, smartphones can not successfully change laptops in contexts that require typing, software program use, or prolonged studying.

The distinction turns into significantly stark when college students face computer-based examinations requiring proficiency past easy display screen tapping.

Penalties run deep

The implications of restricted laptop computer entry are clear: college students with out prior expertise with digital units enter examinations such because the UTME at a big drawback. They need to navigate not solely educational content material but in addition the mechanics of utilizing a pc underneath examination circumstances. This barrier disproportionately impacts younger individuals from rural communities and low-income households.

For policymakers and educators, the problem is appreciable. Growing laptop computer penetration, bettering college infrastructure, and guaranteeing dependable web connectivity are important steps to bridge the digital divide. 

Gbenga Sesan, Govt Director of Paradigm Initiative, a digital rights and inclusion apply in Africa, has referred to as for elevated funding in digital literacy programmes, particularly for underserved communities, to make sure individuals can use digital providers successfully.

He additionally emphasised that digital literacy and inclusion cut back the digital divide and equip individuals with the talents wanted to thrive in a digital financial system.

Paradigm Initiative’s analysis stresses that funding in digital expertise should go hand in hand with gadget entry and connectivity if college students are to profit from a completely computer-based examination system.

With out these measures, he careworn, Nigeria dangers perpetuating inequality at a time when digital expertise are crucial for tutorial success and future employment.