If you’ve been trying to complete your Ahmadu Bello University Post-UTME or Direct Entry registration and the portal has been giving you a hard time, you’re not imagining it. ABU Management has just released a Special Bulletin addressing exactly that, and it changes what you should do next depending on your situation.
This guide walks you through the update, then takes you through the full registration process so you know exactly what to do, step by step.
What ABU just announced
On 21 July 2026, the ABU Registrar, Rabiu Samaila, issued Special Bulletin Volume 18, No. 60, following up on an earlier bulletin from 4 July 2026 about the 2026 UTME and Direct Entry screening registration.
Here’s what it says, in plain terms.
The registration problems were caused by an internet infrastructure upgrade.
ABU confirmed that candidates who struggled to register weren’t dealing with a fault on their end. The university has been upgrading its internet service, and the upgrade is almost complete.
If you haven’t finished registering, go back and complete it now.
This applies especially if you couldn’t make payment or couldn’t upload your O’Level results. The university is specifically asking candidates in this position to proceed and finish the process.
Direct Entry registration will start as soon as ABU receives your data from JAMB.
If you’re a DE candidate and your registration hasn’t opened yet, this is why. It isn’t stuck; it’s waiting on your data transfer from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
Still waiting for your O’Level result? Don’t try to register yet.
ABU has asked candidates in this position to wait until their WAEC, NECO, or GCE results are released before starting registration, since the portal requires your result details to proceed.
For enquiries, ABU listed three phone lines: 07076806821, 08111465297, and 09020017135.
If any of these situations describes you, that’s your immediate next step. Now, here’s the complete process for everyone else.
Who this guide is for
This article is for you if you:
- Sat the 2026 UTME and chose ABU as your first choice, scoring 180 or above
- Are applying through Direct Entry into ABU for the 2026/2027 session
- Have already started registration but got stuck partway through
- Haven’t started yet and want to understand the full process before you begin
If you chose ABU as your second choice, you’ll need to change your institution to ABU on your JAMB CAPS profile first. Screening registration is only open to candidates who made ABU their first choice.
Eligibility at a glance
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| UTME score | 180 and above (general minimum across most courses) |
| JAMB choice | ABU must be your first choice institution |
| O’Level | Five credit passes, including English Language and Mathematics, in not more than two sittings |
| Direct Entry | A minimum of two A’Level/IJMB passes, or an Upper Credit in a relevant ND/NCE, plus the required O’Level credits |
Some competitive programmes, including Medicine, Law, Engineering, Pharmacy, and Architecture, may apply higher departmental cut-off marks on top of the general 180 benchmark. Confirm your specific course’s requirement through the ABU brochure linked on the portal before you register, since these figures can change from one session to the next.
How to register: step by step
Step 1: Confirm your subject combination
Before you touch the portal, check that your JAMB subject combination matches what your intended course requires. A mismatched combination is one of the most common reasons candidates get disqualified after screening, so it’s worth five extra minutes now.
Step 2: Go to the official ABU screening portal
Visit portal.abu.edu.ng/forms and select the “Post UTME Login” option. You can also reach this through the main ABU website, abu.edu.ng, by following the link to the current session’s UTME/DE screening registration.
Avoid any other link or agent claiming to sell you a “form.” ABU processes this entirely through its own portal.
Step 3: Log in with your JAMB details
According to the official portal, UTME and DE candidates log in using their JAMB Registration Number as username and their State of Origin as password. If you’re logging in for the first time, you may need to register an account using these same details before you can proceed.
Step 4: Complete your profile
Once you’re in, fill in your biodata and contact details accurately, making sure everything matches your JAMB record. Mismatched names or dates of birth between JAMB and the ABU portal are a common cause of delay later in the admissions process.
Step 5: Upload your documents
You’ll need to upload:
- Your O’Level result (WAEC, NECO, or GCE)
- For Direct Entry candidates, your A’Level, IJMB, or ND/NCE result
- A recent passport photograph
- Any other document the portal specifically requests for your category
Upload clear, correctly oriented scans. Blurry or cropped documents are one of the easiest ways to have your registration flagged for correction, which costs you time.
Step 6: Pay the screening fee
The screening exercise carries a registration charge, which ABU’s July bulletin describes candidates as needing to complete alongside document upload. You can pay:
- Online, using a debit/ATM card, or
- By printing the transaction slip generated on the portal and paying at any commercial bank nationwide
You do not need to travel to Zaria to make this payment. The exact fee amount is displayed on your invoice at the point of payment, so confirm it there rather than relying on a figure from a third party, since screening charges can be reviewed between sessions.
Step 7: Submit and print your slip
Once payment reflects, complete the registration form and print your scheduling or acknowledgement slip. Keep both a digital and a printed copy. You’ll likely need this slip on the day of your screening exercise.
What Direct Entry candidates should know
DE registration works a little differently from straight UTME registration, and it’s worth understanding why.
Your registration depends on ABU receiving your data from JAMB first. That’s the specific point the 21 July bulletin addressed. If you’ve tried to register and the system isn’t letting you through yet, it isn’t necessarily an error on your part; it may simply mean your data hasn’t arrived from JAMB yet.
Once your data comes through, DE registration continues to be open, according to the official portal notice, rather than closing on a fixed early date the way it sometimes does for UTME candidates. Keep checking the portal periodically rather than assuming you’ve missed your window.
If you’re still waiting for your O’Level result
This is one of the clearest points in the July bulletin: don’t try to force your registration through if your result hasn’t been released yet. The portal needs your actual result details to process your upload, so attempting to register without them is likely to create errors rather than save you time.
The moment your WAEC, NECO, or GCE result is out, you can go ahead and start your registration. There’s no indication that waiting for your result puts you at a disadvantage, since the bulletin frames this as the expected sequence rather than a penalty.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Registering with a second-choice JAMB profile. If ABU isn’t your first choice, your registration won’t go through. Change your choice on JAMB CAPS first.
- Uploading the wrong or incomplete documents. Double-check what your category (UTME or DE) actually requires before uploading.
- Using an unofficial “agent” or third-party site. Registration only happens through portal.abu.edu.ng. If someone is charging you to “process” your form outside this portal, that’s a red flag.
- Letting your login details slip your mind. Since your JAMB number and state of origin double as your login credentials, keep them written down somewhere safe.
- Assuming a stuck registration means you’ve been disqualified. As the July bulletin shows, technical issues on ABU’s end have affected many candidates. Before you panic, check whether an official update addresses your specific situation.
Frequently asked questions
I paid but couldn’t upload my O’Level result. What do I do now?
Go back into the portal and complete your upload. ABU’s July bulletin specifically tells candidates in this position to proceed and finish registration, since the infrastructure issue behind the earlier delays is now largely resolved.
My Direct Entry registration hasn’t opened yet. Is something wrong?
Not necessarily. DE registration depends on ABU receiving your data from JAMB. If your registration hasn’t started, it’s most likely still waiting on that data transfer rather than a fault with your application.
Can I register if my O’Level result isn’t out yet?
No. ABU has asked candidates in this situation to wait until their result is released before beginning registration.
Do I have to travel to Zaria to pay or register?
No. Everything, from registration to payment, happens online. If you choose to pay by bank transfer rather than card, you can do this at any commercial bank branch nationwide.
What if my subject combination is wrong?
Check your combination against your intended course’s requirements before you register. Getting this wrong can affect your admission even if every other part of your application is correct, so it’s worth confirming through the ABU brochure linked on the portal.
Before you go
Registration issues can feel alarming, especially when you’ve been checking the portal for days without progress. But this update from the registrar tells you something useful: the problem was on ABU’s end, it’s nearly resolved, and there’s a clear next step for almost every situation, whether you’re stuck on payment, waiting on your O’Level result, or waiting on your DE data from JAMB.
Confirm where you stand, follow the step that applies to you, and get your registration in. If anything changes on the portal after this, treat the official ABU website and portal as your first point of reference before any other source.
If you have any questions or need clarification about your ABU Post-UTME or DE registration, kindly drop them in the comment section below. We’ll be glad to help.
