JAMB Speaks on UTME Candidates’ Backdoor Admissions
- JAMB declared that any admission not processed through its CAPS portal and backed by an official admission letter is illegal
- The JAMB registrar warned that candidates admitted above a programme's approved carrying capacity will not appear on the matriculation list
- The agency cautioned admission seekers against careless handling of SIM cards, describing them as critical identity tools in Nigeria's exam system
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering education in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has put admission seekers on notice, stating that candidates who accept admissions arranged outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) do so entirely at their own risk and may never be recognised as legitimate students.
Legit.ng reports that JAMB is the official Nigerian government agency responsible for university and tertiary admissions. The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is the specific standardised entrance exam that JAMB administers to prospective students seeking admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Source: Twitter
As reported by Vanguard, JAMB registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, clarified the board's position on admissions during a question-and-answer session at the 2026 Annual Education Summit of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja on Wednesday, July 15. He spoke through the board's public communication adviser, Fabian Benjamin.
Prof. Oloyede stated that printing an official JAMB admission letter remains the single most important step in confirming the validity of any university placement. Institutions that bypass this process, he said, are acting outside the law.
Blueprint Newspapers quoted Oloyede as saying:
"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."
JAMB: What happens to 'over-quota admissions'?
The registrar explained that once a candidate completes admission through CAPS and prints the letter, their details are automatically transferred onto JAMB's matriculation list, the official record that determines who counts as a legally admitted student. Any candidate whose name does not appear on that list has no standing, regardless of what an institution may have told them.
He was equally firm on the question of carrying capacities, noting that no institution has the authority to exceed its approved student intake for any programme.
He stated:
"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."
Rather than placing the burden solely on institutions, the registrar said candidates must take personal responsibility for confirming that their admissions have been correctly processed, and should resist any institution attempting to draw them into an unauthorised arrangement.
He warned:
"Candidates must ensure their admissions are processed through CAPS. Otherwise, they stand the risk of being stranded."
Furthermore, Oloyede used the occasion to address the role CAPS plays in helping candidates make better choices, noting that the system allows prospective students to assess their competitiveness, compare their scores against others, and weigh their options across institutions and courses before committing to a placement.
JAMB raises alarm over SIM card misuse
Meanwhile, in a separate caution, Prof. Oloyede flagged the growing risk of candidates mishandling their SIM cards, warning that these now function as unique identity markers within Nigeria's computer-based examination framework. He specifically advised against purchasing pre-registered SIM cards or consenting to SIM swaps, both of which he said could expose candidates to identity theft and examination fraud.
He said:
"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 NUC also announced at the summit that it would intensify nationwide monitoring of universities to check illegal admissions and tighten regulations around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Nigerian higher education.
Source: Facebook
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JAMB clarifies 2026 UTME mop-up
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that JAMB successfully conducted the 2026 UTME mop-up examination for candidates who faced some challenges.
Participants reportedly applauded JAMB's 'commitment to transparency and inclusiveness' during the UTME process.
Purported positive feedback from candidates reinforces confidence in JAMB's integrity and examination credibility, according to the agency's statement.
Source: Legit.ng
