Over 2,600 Admissions Declared Illegal by JAMB Across Nigerian Tertiary Institutions

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered a total of 2,658 illegal admissions carried out by 17 tertiary institutions across the country during the 2024/2025 academic session.

According to an institutional analysis obtained on Friday in Abuja, the flagged admissions were traced to several universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

The breakdown shows that Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University led the list with 1,847 illegal admissions, followed by Osun State University with 492 and Abubakar Tafari Ali Polytechnic with 148. Others include the Federal College of Animal and Health Production (66), University of Calabar (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), and Best Solution Polytechnic (1), among others.

JAMB defines illegal admissions as those conducted outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS)—the official platform introduced in 2017 to ensure transparency, equity, and merit-based selection in the nation’s tertiary admissions.

The board has repeatedly cautioned institutions and candidates against issuing or accepting admissions outside the CAPS framework, warning that such actions contravene established regulations.

At the 2025 JAMB Policy Meeting, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, warned that institutions found guilty of illegal admission practices would face strict penalties, including withdrawal of assets and disciplinary actions against officials involved.

JAMB reminded candidates that accepting admissions outside CAPS could render them ineligible for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), as such admissions are not officially recognised by the board.

Meanwhile, public universities officially concluded their admission processes for the 2025/2026 academic session on Friday, according to the board’s admission timetable.