JAMB flags NOUN, UNIABUJA, other institutions for illegal admission practices

• The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has accused several tertiary institutions conducting illegal admissions
• JAMB Registrar Is-haq Oloyede disclosed that the Nigerian government granted waivers to around one million candidates admitted illegally
• The implementation of JAMB's Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) has faced criticism from stakeholders

FCT, Abuja - The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has accused several tertiary institutions of conducting illegal admissions.

This disclosure was made during an admission policy meeting in Abuja.

JAMB accuses certain institutions of illegal admission Photo credit: Naija_PR
Source: Twitter

JAMB Registrar Is-haq Oloyede pointed fingers at institutions including the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), University of Abuja (UNIABUJA), National Open University (NOUN), Kwara State University (KWASU), and Ambrose Alli University. Although Delta State University (DELSU) was initially on the list, Oloyede later retracted this, citing an error.

The meeting, organized by JAMB, brought together key stakeholders in Nigeria's admission processes, such as university vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and registrars.

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FG grants waiver for 1million candidates

Oloyede revealed that the Nigerian government had granted waivers to approximately one million candidates allegedly admitted illegally by these institutions between 2017 and 2020, Premium Times reported.

Despite this waiver, some institutions continue to engage in illegal admissions.

Out of the one million candidates granted waivers, only about 600 have been registered by JAMB due to many lacking basic qualifications, The Guardian reported.

He highlighted that over 700 candidates were admitted outside the JAMB Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) by the National Open University (NOUN), causing embarrassment for both JAMB and the university.

He said:

“Among the corrupt admission practices reported are issues with regulated programs (MBBS, Law, Nursing) at the University of Nigeria; problems with issuing admission letters before completing the CAPS process at the University of Abuja for the years 2020 to 2023; ongoing investigations into admission racketeering at Imo State University; and irregularities with the University Diploma program at Kwara State University (KWASU).”

Controversy over admission procedure

JAMB's primary role is to conduct entrance examinations for Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and monotechnics.

JAMB Registrar Is-haq Oloyede has consistently highlighted that the agency’s examination system is designed to rank candidates for admission into their preferred institutions.

However, the implementation of the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) by JAMB, which requires institutions to upload their admission criteria for verification and regulation, has been criticized as "insubordination" by various stakeholders, including workers' unions.

Critics argue that JAMB’s regulatory activities infringe upon the University Autonomy Act, which they believe grants institutions the authority to make independent decisions on academic and administrative matters.

Top 10 universities in Nigeria according to JAMB rating

In a related development, Legit.ng reported that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the longlist of Nigerian tertiary institution ratings ahead of the commencement of the 2024 admissions period.

This was contained in its weekly bulletin, where it cited five areas of consideration in rating the higher institutions in Nigeria.

Some of the universities are: University of Ilorin, UNILORIN, University of Lagos, UNILAG, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Bayero University, Kano, University of Benin, UNIBEN, among others.

Source: Legit.ng