The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a stern warning to newly established and upgraded tertiary institutions across Nigeria, cautioning them against engaging in illegal admission practices and urging full compliance with the Board’s approved admission procedures.
The warning was delivered by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during an interactive session with principal officers of newly established, upgraded, and adopted universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, held on Monday, April 14, 2025, in Abuja.
“No Tolerance for Illegal Admissions” – JAMB
Prof. Oloyede emphasized that all admissions must go through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) — JAMB’s official platform for processing admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
“Whoever admits a candidate illegally, whether private or public institution, will be dealt with,” Oloyede stated.
“We don’t want them to commit the offence; some of them ignorantly commit the offence. We are now exposing them to how to get and achieve their desire without violating any of the rules.”
He also highlighted the ‘Marketplace’ feature on CAPS, which allows institutions to actively source qualified candidates from the central database rather than engage in backdoor admissions.
Over 100 New Institutions Join Nigeria’s Tertiary System
JAMB disclosed that more than 100 new tertiary institutions have been approved in recent months, including:
- 22 new universities
- 15 upgraded federal colleges of education (now offering both NCE and degree programs)
- 33 new polytechnics and monotechnics
- 12 new colleges of education
Prof. Oloyede urged these institutions to embrace digital processes, train their staff, and adopt full automation in line with modern academic systems.
ASUU Strikes Still Affecting Academic Calendar
The Registrar also raised concern over the disruption of academic calendars, blaming strikes and administrative delays for Nigeria’s overlapping sessions.
“Some institutions are still going at their own pace, finishing 2021 in 2023, finishing 2022 in 2024. We are running four concurrent sessions; this would not have been possible if we had not planned it properly,” he said.
NCCE Urges Institutions to Embrace Technology
In his remarks, Prof. Paulinus Okwelle, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), praised JAMB for introducing innovative tools to level the playing field between older and newer institutions.
He urged new school administrators to fully understand the CAPS process and integrate it into their systems to ensure fair, transparent, and efficient student admissions.
Final Word
JAMB’s session marks a significant step toward strengthening the admission process, especially as Nigeria’s higher education landscape expands rapidly. Institutions have been advised to prioritize compliance, automation, and proper staff training to avoid sanctions and uphold academic integrity.
Stay with us for further updates on admission guidelines, JAMB CAPS procedures, and UTME 2025 developments.