JAMB warns Nigerian students against 'backdoor' university admissions

Nigeria's Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a stern warning to prospective students, cautioning them against accepting "backdoor" admissions offered by tertiary institutions outside the official Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). Candidates who fall prey to such unofficial channels do so at their own peril and risk forfeiting recognition as legitimate students, JAMB stated.

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 carrying capacities and to implement stricter regulations on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within Nigerian higher education institutions. These measures were detailed during a question-and-answer session at the 2026 Annual Education Summit of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja.

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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 the Board’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, stressed that any admission not processed through CAPS and lacking an official JAMB admission letter is considered illegal. Institutions engaging in such practices are operating outside the law, and students admitted this way risk exclusion from the official 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," he clarified.

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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.

Furthermore, the Registrar explained that once a candidate's admission is processed and the letter printed via CAPS, their details are automatically added to JAMB's matriculation list, serving as the definitive record of legally admitted students. Institutions are strictly prohibited from admitting students beyond their approved quotas; any student admitted above capacity will not be recognized by JAMB. "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," he stated.

The JAMB boss also placed responsibility on candidates to verify the legitimacy of their admissions, urging them to challenge institutions that entice them with unauthorized offers. "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," he warned. JAMB highlighted that CAPS enhances transparency by allowing candidates to monitor their competitiveness and make informed choices about institutions and courses.

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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.