The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has issued a stern warning to admission seekers, declaring that candidates who accept “backdoor” admissions from tertiary institutions outside its Central Admissions Processing System, CAPS, do so at their own risk and may ultimately forfeit recognition as legitimate students.

The warning came as the National Universities Commission, NUC, announced plans to intensify nationwide monitoring of universities to curb illegal admissions beyond approved carrying capacities, while also rolling out stricter measures to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence, AI, in Nigerian universities.

The positions were made known during a question-and-answer session at the 2026 Annual Education Summit of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria, ECAN, in Abuja on Wednesday.

Responding to questions on illegal admissions, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.

Speaking through the board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, emphasised that no admission is valid unless processed through CAPS and accompanied by an official JAMB admission letter.

According to him, institutions that admit candidates outside the approved process are engaging in illegality, and such candidates risk being excluded from the 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,” he said.

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

He stressed that institutions cannot admit students beyond their approved carrying capacities, warning that any candidate admitted above the quota would not be recognised by the Board.

“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 stated.

The JAMB boss maintained that candidates also bear responsibility for verifying the legitimacy of their admissions, urging them to challenge institutions that lure them into accepting unauthorised admissions.

“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,” he warned.

On improving admission prospects, the Registrar said CAPS has made the admission process more transparent by allowing candidates to monitor their competitiveness, compare scores and make informed choices about institutions and courses.

He noted that highly competitive programmes such as Medicine, Law and Nursing naturally require higher scores because of overwhelming demand, while candidates with relatively lower scores could improve their chances by considering less competitive institutions or programmes.

“The system now enables candidates to know where they stand. It helps them make informed decisions rather than applying blindly,” he explained.

The Registrar also warned candidates against careless handling of their SIM cards, describing them as critical identity tools in Nigeria’s computer-based examination system.

He cautioned against buying pre-registered SIM cards or allowing SIM swaps, saying 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,” he said.

Also responding to questions, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, represented by Malam Lawal Faruk, disclosed that the Commission would begin stricter post-matriculation monitoring of universities to identify institutions admitting students beyond approved quotas.

According to him, NUC officials will inspect universities after every matriculation exercise, scrutinising matriculation lists and admission records to ensure compliance with approved carrying capacities.

“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,” he said.

Ribadu noted that although JAMB’s CAPS already limits admissions based on approved capacities, some institutions still circumvent the system.

He revealed that the Commission was considering stronger sanctions as part of ongoing amendments to the NUC Act to deter violations.

The NUC boss also addressed concerns about graduate employability, explaining that compulsory industrial attachments and internships have always been embedded in university curricula, and that technology is now being deployed to ensure students genuinely participate rather than merely obtain signatures.

He announced that NUC had developed national guidelines on micro-credentials to enable students to acquire additional industry-relevant skills beyond their academic programmes.

Ribadu further disclosed that universities were being encouraged to organise regular job fairs to expose students to employers before graduation, while entrepreneurship training would be strengthened within the General Studies curriculum to equip graduates with practical job-creation skills.

On delays in transcript processing, he said the Commission was working with universities to automate transcript requests while maintaining universities’ autonomy as the only legally recognised authorities empowered to certify academic records.

Regarding private universities, he clarified that the Federal Government’s moratorium remains in force only for fresh applications for private university licences and does not affect institutions already undergoing various stages of approval.

On Artificial Intelligence, Ribadu said NUC had already issued a national AI policy for universities and would begin annual compliance monitoring to ensure institutions domesticate the framework and promote the ethical use of AI in teaching, learning and research.

He said universities would also be required to report yearly on their implementation of the AI policy, while lecturers would receive capacity-building support to effectively manage AI-driven learning environments.

The summit brought together education stakeholders, policymakers, regulators, and journalists to review ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s education sector and examine strategies to improve quality assurance, admissions, innovation, and accountability in tertiary education (Vanguard)

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