The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has mandated all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to disclose any admissions conducted outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) prior to 2017 within a one-month timeframe, starting from August 1, 2024.
This was announced by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Public Communication Advisor for JAMB, during a press briefing in Abuja on behalf of the board's registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.
The initiative is intended to promote transparency and equity in the admissions process. Dr. Benjamin highlighted concerns regarding certain institutions that have engaged in unauthorized admissions practices, including the manipulation of records to legitimize illegal admissions.
He noted that this practice has contributed to fraudulent activities, such as enabling candidates to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme without proper registration.
Under the new directive, any admission prior to 2017 that is not disclosed within the stipulated period will be deemed invalid.
JAMB has emphasized that institutions must comply with this directive, as there will be no further condonement for candidates who did not register with JAMB or take the required entrance examinations.
Furthermore, JAMB has expressed its intention to terminate the previously allowed process of condoning undisclosed illegal admissions. This decision follows a pattern of abuse where institutions colluded with candidates to falsify admission details, including backdating entry years and adjusting ages on official documents.
In addition to addressing illegal admissions, JAMB reaffirmed that the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions remains at 16 years for the 2024/2025 academic session.
Dr. Benjamin also raised alarms over the emergence of unapproved programs labeled as “Daily-Part-Time” and “Top-Up” by various institutions. He cited a recent advertisement from Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, which invited applications for a two-year Daily-Part-Time program, asserting that such initiatives lack approval from relevant educational authorities and undermine the integrity of Nigeria's educational system.
