Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has issued a stern warning to candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions, declaring that any admission not processed through its Central Admissions Processing System and backed by an official JAMB admission letter is illegal and will not be recognised. The Board cautioned that candidates who accept what it described as "backdoor" admissions do so at their own risk and may ultimately forfeit their status as legitimate students. JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, gave the warning through the Board's Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, during a question-and-answer session at the 2026 Annual Education Summit organised by the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the Registrar, only candidates whose admissions are processed through CAPS and who print their JAMB admission letters are regarded as duly admitted and automatically included on JAMB's official matriculation list. "We have made it abundantly clear. For you to be regarded as duly admitted, you must print your JAMB admission letter. If an institution gives you admission through the back door without JAMB documentation, that is an illegal admission," he said. The Registrar explained that once a candidate accepts admission through CAPS and prints the admission letter, the person's details are automatically transferred to JAMB's matriculation list, which serves as the official record of legally admitted students.
Oloyede also cautioned tertiary institutions against admitting students beyond their approved carrying capacities, stressing that any admission above the approved quota would not be recognised by the Board. "If a programme has approval to admit 50 students, it cannot admit 51. That extra candidate becomes an illegal admission because the name will not appear on the matriculation list," he stated. He urged candidates to verify the authenticity of their admissions and avoid institutions that attempt to bypass the approved admission process. "It is not JAMB's responsibility to fight such battles. Candidates must ensure their admissions are processed through CAPS. Otherwise, they stand the risk of being stranded," he warned.
The Registrar noted that CAPS has made admissions more transparent by enabling candidates to monitor their admission status, assess their competitiveness and make informed decisions when selecting institutions and courses. He explained that highly competitive courses such as Medicine, Law and Nursing naturally require higher scores because of the large number of applicants, advising candidates with lower scores to consider less competitive programmes or institutions to improve their admission prospects. "The system now enables candidates to know where they stand. It helps them make informed decisions rather than applying blindly," he said.
Oloyede also warned candidates against mishandling their SIM cards, describing them as critical identity tools in Nigeria's computer-based examination system. He advised candidates not to purchase pre-registered SIM cards or engage in unnecessary SIM swaps, warning that such practices could expose them to identity theft and examination fraud. "Your SIM card is your identity. Once you lose control of it, you may lose everything linked to your identity. Candidates must protect their SIM cards because they are now unique identifiers," he said.
Also speaking at the summit, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, represented by Malam Lawal Faruk, disclosed that the Commission would strengthen post-matriculation monitoring of universities to ensure compliance with approved admission quotas. He said NUC officials would inspect universities after every matriculation exercise, scrutinising admission records and matriculation lists to identify institutions that exceed their approved carrying capacities. "We are determined to stop the abuse. After every matriculation exercise, NUC will visit universities to verify that institutions have not exceeded their approved admission quotas," he said. Ribadu added that the NUC was seeking tougher sanctions through the ongoing amendment of the NUC Act to deter institutions from violating admission regulations.
The NUC also announced plans to intensify monitoring of Artificial Intelligence use in universities to promote ethical and responsible adoption in teaching, learning and research. The Commission's announcement came as part of a broader effort to regulate emerging technologies in Nigerian higher education, ensuring that institutions adopt AI tools in ways that enhance learning outcomes rather than compromise academic integrity. The NUC's crackdown on over-admission and AI misuse signals a new phase of regulatory oversight in the nation's university system, as the Commission moves to address long-standing challenges that have undermined the quality and credibility of higher education in Nigeria.
The joint warning by JAMB and the NUC represents a coordinated effort to restore integrity to Nigeria's admission process. JAMB's declaration that backdoor admissions are illegal and the NUC's commitment to post-matriculation inspections send a clear message to both institutions and candidates: the era of unregulated admissions is over. Candidates who accept admissions outside CAPS risk being excluded from the official matriculation list, which could have serious consequences for their academic careers, including ineligibility for the National Youth Service Corps scheme. As the 2026 admission cycle progresses, the Board has urged all prospective students to verify the authenticity of their admissions through CAPS and to reject any offer that does not come with an official JAMB admission letter.
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