The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered and flagged a total of 2,658 illegal admissions carried out by 17 tertiary institutions during the 2024/2025 academic session. The findings were contained in an institutional analysis report released by the board on Friday in Abuja.
According to JAMB, the flagged admissions were processed outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) — a platform designed to ensure transparency, merit, and fairness in the nation’s higher education admission process.
The revelation comes as public universities concluded their admission exercise for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The report listed several universities, polytechnics, and colleges implicated in the illegal admissions. Leading the list are:
- Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) – 1,847 illegal admissions
- Osun State University (UNIOSUN) – 492
- Abubakar Tafari Ali Polytechnic – 148
- Federal College of Animal Health and Production – 66
- University of Calabar (UNICAL) – 28
- College of Education, Oro – 12
- Michael and Cecilia Ibru University – 12
- Redeemer’s University – 5
- Pan-Atlantic University – 5
- Nigerian Army College of Education – 2
- Kwara State Polytechnic – 1
- Best Solution Polytechnic – 1
Other institutions were also cited in JAMB’s report for breaching the admission regulations.
JAMB reiterated that any admission conducted outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) is illegal and invalid. The board has consistently warned institutions and candidates about the risks of bypassing the approved system.
Introduced in 2017, the CAPS platform was designed to promote transparency, meritocracy, and accountability in Nigeria’s tertiary admission process. It allows candidates to monitor admission offers, accept or reject offers, and verify admission status in real time.
During the 2025 JAMB Policy Meeting, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, issued a stern warning to institutions engaging in illegal admission racketeering. He announced that the government would impose severe sanctions, including withdrawal of institutional licenses and punishment of culpable officials.
“The era of illegal admissions must come to an end. Institutions found circumventing CAPS will face serious consequences,” the minister warned.
JAMB also cautioned students who accept offers outside CAPS that they risk becoming ineligible for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program — a mandatory post-graduation service for Nigerian graduates.
Students with unverified or unauthorized admissions may not have their records recognized by JAMB, potentially affecting their eligibility for graduation, mobilization, and national service.
The illegal admissions issue has been a persistent challenge in Nigeria’s higher education system, despite ongoing reforms. JAMB’s crackdown on unauthorized admissions highlights the agency’s continued effort to restore integrity and fairness in the nation’s tertiary education sector.
Education analysts have urged institutions to strictly adhere to JAMB’s guidelines, emphasizing that compliance with CAPS remains the only legitimate pathway to national admission approval.
