By Akinsuroju Olubunmi
Illegal admissions: JAMB’s crackdown
An analysis of data for the 2022/2023 admission session in Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and other tertiary institutions reveals that 88 institutions conducted admissions outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), making these admissions illegal. JAMB introduced CAPS in 2017 to centralize and automate the admission process for all tertiary institutions. Any admission not processed through CAPS is considered null and void.
JAMB warned in 2020 against institutions offering admissions through their own portals, describing it as a flagrant abuse of the automated system. In April 2024, JAMB reiterated its stance, emphasizing that all admissions must go through CAPS. The board’s bulletin titled ‘Cessation of illegal/irregular admission’ urged candidates not to accept admissions not processed through JAMB.
In a report assessing compliance with the 2022/2023 admission guidelines, JAMB scored institutions based on their adherence to CAPS. Institutions that fully complied scored 10 points, those with partial compliance received five points, while non-compliant institutions were awarded zero points. Among the non-compliant institutions are the University of Uyo, University of Abuja, Olabisi Onabanjo University, and several others.
Illegal Admissions: JAMB’s Crackdown