JAMB flags thousands of illegal admissions nationwide

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it flagged a total of 2,658 admissions as illegal for the 2024/2025 academic year. These admissions were made by 17 universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across Nigeria.

The affected institutions include Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University with 1,847 illegal admissions, Osun State University with 492, and others such as Abubakar Tafari Ali Polytechnic with 148, Federal College of Animal and Health Production with 66, University of Calabar with 28, and several colleges with fewer cases.

JAMB stated that these admissions were made outside its official system called CAPS (Central Admissions Processing System), which was introduced in 2017 to ensure transparent, fair, and merit-based admissions. The system allows students to track admission offers, accept or reject offers, and verify their status.

The board also warned that admissions outside CAPS are considered illegal and could lead to serious sanctions, including the withdrawal of assets and punishment of officials involved, as emphasized during a recent 2025 policy meeting organized by the board.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, warned that institutions involved in illegal admission racketeering would face severe consequences in line with the board’s directives.

Meanwhile, public universities have finished their admission processes for the 2025/2026 academic session. Students are advised to use official channels to secure their admissions and avoid ineligibility for the National Youth Service Scheme or other opportunities.