JAMB gives tertiary institutions one month to disclose candidates admitted illegally pre-2017

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has given tertiary institutions one month to disclose all candidates illegally admitted before 2017.

JAMB Registrar Is-haq Oloyede gave the directive at a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, saying the decision would end the ‘condonement of illegal admissions without registration number.

Mr Oloyede, a professor, cited widespread abuse of the window used to absorb illegal admissions conducted before 2017.

Mr Oloyede, represented by the agency’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, added that the position is informed by the “discovery of widespread and unwholesome practices whereby some institutions colluded with candidates to falsify vital details, such as backdated year of entry and age-adjustments, to facilitate illegal admissions and enable fake candidates to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.”

He said: “It would be recalled that CAPS was introduced in 2017 to ensure accuracy, records, transparency, accountability, fairness, and equity in admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The window (for mop-up of pre-2017 unofficial/unregistered admission) has been on now for seven years and it is now being abused.”

Solution

To address the challenge, he said the board has directed all institutions to disclose all candidates illegally admitted before 2017 within the next one month, beginning from 1 August.

“Any admission given before 2017 will no longer be recognised or condoned unless disclosed within this window. Institutions are advised to comply with this directive, as there will be no further condonement of unrecorded candidates who did not register with JAMB or sit for any entrance examination,” he added.

He noted that the move is aimed at curbing illegal admissions and falsifying records while ensuring compliance with the provision of CAPS.

Part-time, Top-up programmes

JAMB condemned the “Daily-Part-Time” (DPT) and “Top-up” (TU) programmes being offered by some polytechnics and universities, describing them as “fraudulent devices” aimed at side-lining quality and approved quota for full-time admission.

Mr Benjamin gave a recent example of the advertisement by Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, in Oyo State, inviting candidates to apply for its two-year daily part-time (DPT) programme.

He noted that the National Board does not approve such programmes for Technical Education (NBTE) or the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He said: “Part-time programmes are strictly regulated, allowing institutions to admit only up to 150 per cent of the approved full-time capacity. However, some institutions have been found to admit an excessive number of candidates through this unrecognised DPT programme, merging them with full-time students in classrooms and purporting to graduate them simultaneously with full-time students. This practice undermines the integrity of our educational system under the guise of revenue generation.”

JAMB, however, advised candidates to avoid such programmes, as they are not recognised and will not be tolerated under any regularisation or condonement.

Candidates admitted outside CAPS

JAMB further reminded institutions to disclose candidates admitted outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) between 2017 and 2020.

The Board warned that failure to comply would result in termination of the condonement process.

“This directive followed the waiver, on the recommendation of JAMB, by the former Minister of Education, which allowed institutions to transit to conducting all admissions exclusively through the CAPS platform from 2020. We then opened the window of Condoment of Undisclosed Institutional Illegal Admissions (2017 -2020) (CUIIA),” he said

He added that the board is consequently terminating the aspect of the 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.

Minimum age for admission

The board maintained that the minimum age for candidates seeking admission for the 2024/2025 session remains 16 years.

“For the 2024 admission cycle, candidates who will be at least sixteen years old at the time of admission will be considered eligible. This decision follows the directive from the Chairman of the 2024 tertiary admission policy meeting, who is also the Honourable Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman that the extant policy of 6-3-3-4 be enforced only from the 2025 session,” Mr Benjamin said.

The board expressed concern over the alarming rate of false affidavits and doctored upward age adjustments on NIN slips submitted to the Board, vowing to take decisive action against perpetrators.

“Only those below 16 would not and should not be admitted in accordance with the decision of the 2024 Policy Meeting,” he added.