JAMB names Nigerian universities allegedly involved in illegal admissions
The JAMB chief disclosed that the Nigerian government had already granted waivers to about one million candidates allegedly illegally admitted by these institutions
By AmforGod J. Olisa
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has accused several tertiary institutions of engaging in illegal admissions practices.
JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, made these allegations during an admission policy meeting in Abuja on Thursday. The institutions named include the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), University of Abuja (UNIABUJA), National Open University (NOUN), Kwara State University (KWASU), and Ambrose Alli University. Oloyede initially included Delta State University (DELSU) in the list but later withdrew the allegation, acknowledging it as an error.
The policy meeting, organized by JAMB, brought together key stakeholders in the admission process, such as university vice-chancellors and registrars, rectors and registrars of polytechnics, provosts, and registrars of colleges of education, and principal officers of monotechnics.
Oloyede revealed that the Nigerian government had granted waivers to about one million candidates who were allegedly admitted illegally by these institutions between 2017 and 2020. Despite these waivers, he noted that some institutions continued to engage in illegal admissions. He mentioned that JAMB had managed to register only about 600 of the one million candidates, as many lacked the basic qualifications.
He further highlighted that over 700 candidates were admitted outside the JAMB Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) by the National Open University (NOUN), causing embarrassment to both JAMB and the university.
Oloyede pointed out specific corrupt practices, including:
– Admission crises for regulated programs (MBBS, Law, Nursing) at the University of Nigeria.
– Issuance of admission letters before completing the process on CAPS for 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 at the University of Abuja.
– Admission racketeering under investigation at Imo State University.
– Issues with University Diplomas at KWASU.
He warned that any candidate or institution involved in illegal admissions after the 2020 waiver would not receive support.
The controversy over admission procedures continues, with JAMB’s role in regulating entrance examinations and admissions often clashing with university autonomy. JAMB’s introduction of CAPS, which requires institutions to upload their requirements for verification, has been criticized by many stakeholders as overreach.
Niyi Sunmonu, National President of the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), argued that decisions by the minister and JAMB violate the University Autonomy Act. He questioned, “Where is the place of the University Autonomy Act? Are universities appendages of the Ministry of Education?”
