Thousands of Nigerian university graduates have found themselves stranded and unable to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) flagged their admissions as fake.
Despite successfully completing their studies and appearing on the official matriculation lists in previous years, these graduates were shocked when their JAMB portals suddenly displayed “fake admission” notices, just days before mobilisation for the 2024 NYSC Batch B Stream 1 began.
What Happened?
According to affected graduates, the problem surfaced around April 2024 when about 14,000 students had their records locked on JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
This situation arose even though many of them had initially accepted their admissions, completed registration processes, and even appeared on JAMB’s matriculation list.
Some of the affected institutions include:
- Ambrose Alli University
- Imo State University
- Ahmadu Bello University
- University of Calabar
- University of Benin
- Federal University of Technology Akure
- Lagos State University
- Kwara State University
- Edo State University, Iyamho
Students’ Ordeal
Many graduates recounted how they initially received admissions directly from their universities without proper JAMB processing.
They later tried to regularise their admissions through JAMB as instructed, often at their own expense, only to later be told their admissions were invalid.
“We took the JAMB exam but were admitted by our schools, not through JAMB. We paid for regularisation and even appeared on the matriculation list. Yet, suddenly, they are telling us our admissions are fake,” one affected graduate lamented.
Some also reported being shuffled between JAMB offices and their institutions, with no clear solution provided.
“We can’t go for NYSC, further our education, or move on with our lives. We have become a burden to our parents because of this issue,” another frustrated graduate said.
JAMB’s Response
When contacted, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s spokesperson, explained that the issue was rooted in illegal admissions carried out by some institutions without proper approval from JAMB.
He stated:
“The law is clear. A candidate must sit for JAMB, be offered admission through JAMB, and be issued an admission letter.
If a school admits a student outside JAMB’s system, it is not a valid admission.”
Dr. Benjamin added that in the past, over 250,000 candidates were affected by similar irregularities but efforts were made to clean up the process.
However, he made it clear that JAMB has now closed the window for condoning such irregular admissions, stressing that regularisation is not an automatic right.
“We cannot continue to allow students who do not meet the basic admission requirements to enter classrooms. Standards must be maintained,” he said.
Hope for Affected Graduates?
While JAMB insists on following due process, affected graduates are pleading with the Board and other relevant authorities to urgently find a resolution.
They argue that many of them were innocent victims of administrative lapses and deserve a second chance to be mobilized for NYSC and pursue their careers.
The call for urgent intervention continues to grow as thousands of young Nigerians face uncertainty about their futures.
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