JAMB has fired a blunt warning: accept a “backdoor” offer and you risk not being a recognised student. The message came as the National Universities Commission (NUC) unveiled plans to police illegal admissions and tighten rules on AI in universities.
Speaking at the 2026 Annual Education Summit of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Abuja, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede — via Public Communication Adviser Dr. Fabian Benjamin — said no admission is valid unless it goes through CAPS and comes with an official JAMB admission letter.
“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.
Oloyede explained that printing the CAPS admission letter moves a candidate’s details to JAMB’s matriculation list, the official record. He warned institutions cannot admit beyond approved carrying capacities.
“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.
He also put some responsibility back on candidates. “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.
CAPS, he said, helps candidates see where they stand and choose wisely. “The system now enables candidates to know where they stand. It helps them make informed decisions rather than applying blindly,” he explained.
On exams, he urged care with SIM cards. “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.
NUC Executive Secretary Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, via Malam Lawal Faruk, said the Commission will begin post-matriculation checks to catch quota breaches.
“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 also highlighted moves on internships, micro-credentials, job fairs, automating transcript requests (while keeping universities’ certification role) and an AI policy with annual compliance checks and lecturer training. He clarified the federal moratorium only affects fresh private university licence applications, not those already in approval processes.
