JAMB Directs Institutions to Disclose Illegal Admissions Before

JAMB Directs Institutions to Disclose Illegal Admissions Before

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a directive to all educational institutions to disclose within one month the details of candidates admitted illegally before 2017. JAMB spokesman Fabian Benjamin made this announcement during a press briefing at the board’s headquarters in Abuja yesterday.

Benjamin emphasized that the board would no longer tolerate the absorption of illegal admissions by institutions through the “condonment of illegal admissions” without a valid registration number. This initiative aims to curb illegal admissions, prevent the falsification of records, and ensure compliance with the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

Benjamin reiterated JAMB’s previous requests for institutions to disclose all illegitimate admissions offered outside the CAPS platform between 2017 and 2020 due to abuses of the system.

“This directive followed the waiver on recommendation of JAMB by the former minister of education, which allowed institutions to transition to conducting admissions exclusively through the CAPS platform in 2020,” he said. “We then opened the window of ‘Condonement of Undisclosed Institutional Illegal Admissions (CUIIA), 2017 to 2020.’”

He expressed concern that some institutions continued to admit candidates outside CAPS and then applied for CUIIA, often backdating recent admissions to 2020 to fit within the time frame.

“Consequently, the board is terminating the aspect of the CUIIA process which allows completely unregistered candidates to be introduced to the system,” Benjamin stated. “CAPS is the only authorised platform for admissions. Those who have registration but were illegally admitted between 2017 to 2020 will soon be denied the opportunity of the waiver unless they are disclosed within the next one month.”

The disclosure period begins from August 1. Benjamin warned that the board would not tolerate any undisclosed admissions by institutions and urged candidates to pursue education through legitimate and recognised means to avoid falling victim to fraud.

He also cautioned candidates against enrolling in illegitimate and unrecognised part-time programmes, which will not be tolerated under “regularisation or condonment.”

Benjamin distanced JAMB from strange admission practices by some institutions, such as enrolling candidates into “daily part-time” programmes by polytechnics and “Top-up” programmes by universities. “It is crucial to clarify that no such programmes are approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) or National Universities Commission (NUC),” he said.

He added that these programmes are alien to Nigeria’s education system and any attempt to enroll in the National Youth Service Corps scheme with them would be futile.

Furthermore, Benjamin reiterated JAMB’s policy that only candidates who are at least 16 years old at the time of admission would be considered eligible for the 2024 admission cycle. This decision follows the directive from the Minister of Education and Chairman of the 2024 tertiary admissions policy meeting, Tahir Mamman, that the 6-3-3-4 education policy would be enforced from 2025.

“Only those below 16 years will not and should not be admitted in accordance with the decision of the 2024 policy meeting,” Benjamin affirmed