- There has been falsification of details to gain illegal admissions in some institutions
- JAMB declared a month-long deadline for all tertiary institutions to disclose all illegal admissions
- The board also revealed that no candidate less than 16 years old would be given admission for the 2024/2025 session
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has given all tertiary institutions in the country one month to disclose all admissions conducted outside its Central Admissions Processing System, CAPS, prior to 2017.
Dr. Fabian Benjamin, Public Communication Advisor for JAMB, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on behalf of the board’s registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, on August 4, stated that the directive is aimed at enhancing transparency and fairness in the admissions process.
In his words, “The attention of the Board has been drawn to the predilection of some institutions to admit candidates outside the approved Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) platform and process such through the condonement of illegal admissions window to accord legitimacy.
“In order to close this abused window, the Board has decided that: all institutions should now (or never) disclose all candidates illegally-admitted prior to 2017 whose records are in their system within the next one month beginning from 1st August, 2024; and any admission purportedly given prior to 2017 will no longer be recognised or condoned unless disclosed within this one-month window.
“Institutions are advised to comply with this directive as there will not be any further condonement of hitherto unrecorded candidates who did not even register with JAMB, not to talk of sitting for any entrance examination.
“This move is aimed at curbing illegal admissions and falsification of records, while ensuring compliance with the provisions of CAPS.”
He said the decision marks the end of the Condonement of Illegal Admissions window, which previously allowed institutions to incorporate unauthorised admissions into the system.
Benjamin highlighted concerns over institutions colluding with candidates to falsify details for illegal admissions, which has led to fraudulent participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
He said that despite warnings, some institutions continue to admit candidates outside CAPS and seek Condonement of Undisclosed Illegal Institutional Admissions (CUIIA).
“Consequently, the Board is terminating the aspect of CUIIA process which allows completely unregistered candidates (without registration) to be introduced to the system. CAPS is the only authorised platform for admissions. Those who even have registration but were illegally admitted between the period (2017-2020) would soon be denied the opportunity of the waiver unless they are disclosed within the next one month.
“Therefore, all institutions are hereby directed to disclose, for the final time, all candidates admitted illegally within their systems. Moving forward, the Board will not tolerate any undisclosed admission by any institution,” he said.
Speaking further, Benjamin said recent worse discoveries made it imperative for the Board to speak out to save the integrity of the education system. The board maintained that on the issue of the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions for 2024/2025 session, the minimum age for admission remains 16 years.
“Misplaced priority”: Nigerians react as FG bans admission for under-18 candidates
Meanwhile, in an earlier report, TheRadar gathered reactions from Nigerians as the federal government announced a ban on admission for underage candidates into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Stakeholders protested against the ban, and the minister agreed that the ban would be enforced in 2025. Nigerians believed it was an effort by the government to frustrate citizens further.