JAMB Declares ‘Backdoor’ Admissions Illegal, Warns Candidates Against Unofficial Offers

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has warned admission seekers against accepting offers outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), declaring that such admissions are illegal and could leave affected candidates without official recognition as students.

The Board stressed that only admissions processed through CAPS and supported by an official JAMB admission letter are recognised under Nigeria's admission framework.

The warning came as the National Universities Commission (NUC) announced plans to intensify monitoring of universities to curb illegal admissions beyond approved carrying capacities, while also strengthening oversight of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across tertiary institutions.

Both positions were made known during an interactive session at the 2026 Annual Education Summit, organised by the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja.

Speaking at the summit, JAMB's Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, cautioned candidates against accepting what he described as "backdoor" admissions from tertiary institutions.

According to him, any admission that does not pass through CAPS and is not backed by an official JAMB admission letter is invalid and may prevent affected candidates from appearing on the Board's official matriculation list.

"We have made it abundantly clear. 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," Benjamin said.

He explained that once a candidate accepts admission through CAPS and prints the JAMB admission letter, the individual's details are automatically transferred to JAMB's matriculation list, which serves as the official record of legally admitted students.

Benjamin also reminded tertiary institutions that they are prohibited from admitting candidates beyond their approved carrying capacities.

He warned that any candidate admitted above the authorised quota would not be recognised 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 said.

He added that candidates also have a responsibility to verify the legitimacy of their admissions instead of relying solely on assurances from institutions.

"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."

Benjamin further urged candidates to safeguard their SIM cards, describing them as critical identity tools within Nigeria's computer-based examination system.

He warned against purchasing pre-registered SIM cards or allowing unauthorised SIM swaps, noting that such actions could expose candidates to identity theft and examination fraud.

"Your SIM card is your identity. Once you lose control of it, you may lose everything linked to your identity. Candidates must protect their SIM cards because they are now unique identifiers."

The JAMB spokesman also highlighted the role of CAPS in making the admission process more transparent by enabling candidates to monitor their competitiveness, compare admission requirements and make informed choices about institutions and courses.

He noted that highly competitive programmes such as Medicine, Law and Nursing naturally demand higher scores because of increased competition, while candidates with lower scores could improve their admission prospects by considering less competitive institutions or courses.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, represented by Malam Lawal Faruk, announced that the Commission would strengthen post-matriculation inspections of universities across the country.

According to him, NUC officials will inspect institutions after every matriculation exercise to scrutinise admission records and ensure compliance with approved admission quotas.

"We are determined to stop the abuse. After every matriculation exercise, NUC will visit universities to verify that institutions have not exceeded their approved admission quotas."

Ribadu acknowledged that although JAMB's CAPS already regulates admissions based on approved capacities, some institutions still attempt to circumvent the system.

He disclosed that the Commission is considering stiffer penalties through the ongoing amendment of the NUC Act to discourage illegal admissions.

On Artificial Intelligence, Ribadu said the Commission has already issued a National AI Policy for universities and will commence annual compliance monitoring to ensure institutions adopt the framework responsibly and promote the ethical use of AI in teaching, learning and research.

He said universities would be required to submit annual implementation reports, while lecturers would receive continuous capacity-building support to effectively manage AI-driven learning environments.

The NUC Executive Secretary further disclosed that the Commission is working with universities to automate transcript requests in order to reduce processing delays.

He added that institutions are being encouraged to strengthen entrepreneurship education, organise regular job fairs and implement the Commission's newly developed national guidelines on micro-credentials to equip graduates with additional industry-relevant skills and improve employability.

Ribadu also clarified that the Federal Government's current moratorium on private universities applies only to new applications for licences and does not affect institutions already progressing through the existing approval process.

The education summit brought together policymakers, regulators, education stakeholders and journalists to review ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening quality assurance, improving admissions, promoting innovation and enhancing accountability across Nigeria's tertiary education sector.