JAMB warns candidates against ‘backdoor’ admissions

Nigeria's Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a strong warning to prospective university students, cautioning them against accepting admissions offered outside its official Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). The board emphasized that such "backdoor" admissions carry significant risks and may lead to students forfeiting recognition as legitimate students.

This warning coincides with the National Universities Commission's (NUC) announcement of intensified nationwide monitoring of universities. The NUC aims to curb illegal admissions that exceed approved capacities and to implement stricter regulations on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within Nigerian higher education institutions.

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For you to be regarded as duly admitted, you must print your JAMB admission letter. If an institution gives you admission through the back door without JAMB documentation, that is an illegal admission.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, speaking through Public Communication Advisor Dr. Fabian Benjamin, reiterated that any admission not processed through CAPS and lacking an official JAMB admission letter is considered illegal. He stated that institutions admitting students outside the approved channels are engaging in unlawful practices, and these students risk being excluded from the official matriculation list.

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If a programme has approval to admit 50 students, it cannot admit 51. That extra candidate becomes an illegal admission because the name will not appear on the matriculation list.

"For you to be regarded as duly admitted, you must print your JAMB admission letter. If an institution gives you admission through the back door without JAMB documentation, that is an illegal admission," Dr. Benjamin explained. He further clarified that once a candidate accepts admission via CAPS and prints the letter, their details are automatically added to JAMB's matriculation list, serving as the official record. Institutions are strictly prohibited from admitting students beyond their approved quotas, with any excess candidates facing non-recognition by JAMB.

Prof. Oloyede also placed responsibility on candidates to verify the legitimacy of their admissions, urging them to challenge institutions that attempt to offer unauthorized admissions. He noted that CAPS enhances transparency by allowing candidates to monitor their admission status, compare scores, and make informed choices about courses and institutions.

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It is not JAMB’s responsibility to fight such battles. Candidates must ensure their admissions are processed through CAPS. Otherwise, they stand the risk of being stranded.