The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has chosen a more lenient approach towards tertiary institutions found guilty of violating guidelines related to the matriculation list, in a surprising shift from its usual stance.

JAMB explained that its decision is because the affected institutions, which failed to upload their matriculation lists as required, have tendered apologies.

“They pleaded for leniency and promised to rectify the violations by submitting the outstanding lists within seven days,” JAMB stated.

Though the board did not list out the names of the institutions involved.

The board made this known in its weekly news bulletin released on Monday. This decision marks a departure from JAMB’s previously tough enforcement posture, signalling a possible attempt to foster collaboration in addressing compliance challenges.

JAMB expressed worries that such lapses could disenfranchise candidates and render their admissions illegitimate, hence the board warned erring institutions to desist from such acts.

Is-haq Oloyede, the registrar/chief executive officer at JAMB, described the infraction as “an aberration”, noting that some institutions had conducted admissions on the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) but failed to matriculate the admitted students.

“You conducted admissions on CAPS, but you did not matriculate any student. We feel that before we forward the report to the government, we should interact with you,” Oloyede reportedly said during a meeting with heads of some of the institutions in Abuja last week.

He stressed that matriculation is a mandatory process outlined in Section 23(7) of the admission guidelines, which requires every institution to upload its matriculation list for analysis. The outcome of such analysis determines whether an institution receives approval to conduct matriculation ceremonies, conditional approval, or outright rejection for non-compliance.

The Registrar further warned that any candidate whose name is not on the National Matriculation List would be considered not duly admitted by JAMB. “No such illegal admission will be condoned,” Oloyede said.

JAMB, while acknowledging their apologies, cautioned the institutions and assured them that measures would be taken to ensure candidates are not unfairly punished for institutional lapses.

He Insisted that all affected institutions must submit formal letters of apology on CAPS within 24 hours, upload all pending matriculation lists within seven days from August 18, and ensure affiliate institutions operate strictly through their parent institutions, with designated supervisors overseeing compliance. (BusinessDay)