The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) has raised significant concerns regarding the illegal admissions conducted by some tertiary institutions across Nigeria. Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar, disclosed that over 3,000 individuals falsely claiming to be university graduates were uncovered by the board.
During a recent meeting detailed in the board’s bulletin, Oloyede condemned these practices and highlighted the corruption within the education system. He emphasized that many of these so-called graduates had never attended university.
“Illegal admissions into tertiary institutions are a national embarrassment and a disservice,” Oloyede stated.
This revelation follows a directive from the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education in December 2023, which ordered JAMB to list institutions involved in such irregularities. The board has consistently warned students to avoid accepting admissions from institutions that do not offer full academic participation.
In a statement titled “Cessation of illegal/irregular admission,” JAMB reiterated that all applications for first degrees, national diplomas, national innovation diplomas, and Nigeria certificates in education must be processed through JAMB. Last year, JAMB provided guidelines to identify illegal admissions.
At the 3rd matriculation ceremony of Thomas Adewumi University in Kwara State, Oloyede reiterated that any admission not processed through JAMB’s Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) is null and void. Represented by JAMB Assistant Director Ganiyu Yahaya, Oloyede stressed to the matriculants that admissions outside CAPS are illegal.
The board also warned that candidates seeking underhanded admissions would face consequences. JAMB’s official X handle responded to user @adu_adenkunke1, who suggested improvements to the admission regularization process, by emphasizing the importance of adhering to legal admission procedures.
Oloyede, in a 2021 stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, highlighted that from 2017 to 2020, Nigerian institutions issued 706,189 illegal admissions. He underscored that such practices distort national education statistics and violate ministerial directives.
To combat these issues, JAMB introduced the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) in 2017 to ensure transparency and eliminate human interference in the admission process. Institutions must follow a specific procedure involving the institution’s admissions officer, head of the institution, and JAMB’s approval before a candidate can accept and print their admission letter. Any deviation from this process renders the admission invalid.
Despite repeated warnings, some institutions continue to bypass these protocols, undermining the integrity of Nigeria’s higher education system.