By JUMOKE OLAITAN

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has extended the deadline for candidates with outstanding admission offers from the 2021 to 2025 admission exercises to Nov. 30, 2026.

‎‎JAMB spokesman, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

‎Benjamin said the extension followed the temporary unavailability of the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) for about 96 hours.

‎He said the extension would give affected candidates a final opportunity to either accept or reject their outstanding admission offers.

‎“The Board has approved Nov. 30, 2026 as the final deadline for candidates in this category to indicate whether they wish to accept or reject their outstanding admission offers,” he said.

‎‎He recalled that the Board extended the deadline to Sept. 30, 2026, adding that the recent disruption to CAPS necessitated the further extension.

‎Benjamin warned that candidates who failed to act by Nov. 30 would no longer be allowed to accept or reject the outstanding offers within the current window.

‎‎“Any subsequent request to update an admission record relating to these previous years will attract the applicable penalty fee,” he said.

‎‎He said candidates whose admissions were not on the matriculation list could face difficulties accessing benefits, including participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

‎‎The spokesman advised all affected candidates to take action before the deadline rather than wait until the last day.

‎‎He said candidates who accepted their offers would be able to print their admission letters, while those who rejected them would have their dashboards reverted to “Not Admitted”.

‎‎According to him, the process would enable JAMB to update its records and ensure that the national admission database accurately reflected candidates’ current status.

‎Benjamin said candidates no longer studying at the institutions where they were offered admission could accept the offer and later apply for correction or deletion, where applicable.

‎He added that candidates currently pursuing a second degree rogramme, but still having an unaccepted admission offer from a previous year could reject the old offer and continue with their current programme.

‎‎“Candidates who have been offered admission in the 2026 admission exercise but still have an outstanding admission offer from an earlier year have no cause for apprehension.

‎“Such candidates may reject the previous admission offer, and doing so will not affect their 2026 admission,” he said.

‎Benjamin said the extension was also aimed at helping JAMB maintain accurate and reliable national admission records.

‎He reiterated that Nov. 30, 2026 was the final deadline for accepting or rejecting outstanding admissions from the 2021 to 2025 admission exercises.

‎“At the expiration of the deadline, all outstanding admission offers from these years that have neither been accepted nor rejected will automatically revert to ‘Not Admitted’ status on the Board’s records,” he said.

‎He urged all affected candidates to take immediate action, stressing that failure to accept an admission offer within the stipulated period could render the offer invalid.‎ (NAN)