The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a directive to all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to report all admissions conducted outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) before 2017 within one month.
This announcement was made by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, on behalf of the board’s registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during a press briefing in Abuja. The directive aims to enhance transparency and fairness in the admissions process.
Benjamin highlighted that some institutions have been admitting candidates outside the approved CAPS platform and legitimizing these admissions through the condonement of illegal admissions. To address this, JAMB has decided that all institutions must disclose any candidates admitted illegally before 2017 by the end of August 2024. Any admission given before 2017 will not be recognized unless disclosed within this one-month window.
Institutions are required to comply with this directive as JAMB will no longer condone unrecorded candidates who did not register with JAMB or sit for any entrance examination. This measure is intended to curb illegal admissions and ensure compliance with CAPS provisions. Benjamin noted that institutions continued to admit candidates outside CAPS despite warnings, leading to fraudulent participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
As part of this crackdown, JAMB will terminate the process allowing unregistered candidates to be introduced to the system. CAPS will remain the only authorized platform for admissions. Institutions must disclose all candidates admitted illegally within their systems, as JAMB will no longer tolerate undisclosed admissions.
Regarding the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions for the 2024/2025 session, JAMB reiterated that candidates must be at least 16 years old at the time of admission. This policy will be enforced from the 2025 session, following the directive of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman.
Benjamin also expressed concern over the rise of unauthorized admissions practices, such as “Daily-Part-Time” programs by some polytechnics and “Top Up” programs by some universities. These practices, which are not approved by the National Board for Technical Education or the National Universities Commission, are fraudulent and detrimental to the education system in Nigeria.
He pointed out that some institutions are admitting excessive numbers of candidates through these unrecognized programs, merging them with full-time students, and graduating them at the same time. Part-time programs are strictly regulated, allowing institutions to admit only up to 150 percent of the approved full-time capacity. Institutions must adhere to these regulations to maintain the integrity of the admissions process and the quality of education.
