Disclose All Candidates Illegally Admitted Prior To 2017 Now Or Never – JAMB Tells Universities, Others

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has warned all tertiary institutions in the country to declare all the students given illegal admissions in their various institutions before 2017 within one month or face the consequences.

JAMB said all admissions conducted outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) prior to 2017 should be disclosed within one month, starting from August 1, 2024, in order to accord them legitimacy.

JAMB, in a statement on Sunday by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, on behalf of its Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, said any institution that fails to disclose its illegal admissions within the period of grace would no longer have the opportunity to regularize such again.

Benjamin said the directive is aimed at enhancing transparency and fairness in the admissions process while ensuring compliance with the provisions of CAPS.

According to him, “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.”

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 despite warnings, some institutions continue to admit candidates outside CAPS and seek Condonement of Undisclosed Illegal Institutional Admissions (CUIIA).

JAMB said it is discontinuing the CUIIA aspect which allows such affected candidates to be introduced into the system.

“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 authorized 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.