The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has taken a firm stand against corruption in the tertiary education sector, ordering several institutions to immediately reverse admissions that bypassed qualified candidates.
The board revealed that a recent audit uncovered a troubling pattern where high-scoring applicants were sidelined to make room for candidates with lower marks. This breach of protocol, JAMB warns, fundamentally undermines the integrity of the Nigerian education system.
The directive was made public in JAMB’s weekly bulletin released on Monday in Abuja via its Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin.
In the bulletin, the board expressed its disapproval of current trends, stating:
“The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been drawn to the conduct of admissions by some tertiary institutions, where higher-ranked candidates are reportedly being bypassed in favour of lower-ranked candidates.”
In response to these findings, the board confirmed that “the board has cautioned the affected institutions and directed the immediate reversal of such irregular admissions.”
Despite the corrective measures, JAMB emphasized that institutions must proactively police their own processes. “Notwithstanding these reversals, JAMB reiterates its call on all institutions to strictly adhere to the established guidelines governing the selection and admission of candidates,” the bulletin added.
JAMB reminded the public that the Nigerian admission process is governed by a strict, three-tier system: Merit, Catchment Area, and Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS). Ranking is the non-negotiable metric within each of these pillars.
Regarding the application of these rules, the board clarified: “Each tier is guided strictly by ranking (merit), such that candidates with higher rankings must be selected first, followed by others in descending order. Any situation in which a better-ranked candidate is skipped for a lower-ranked candidate under any of these categories will not be tolerated by the Board.”
The board also addressed a high-profile case involving a candidate who claimed the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) had unfairly denied her admission. After a thorough investigation, JAMB dismissed the claim as unfounded, noting that the candidate simply did not meet the competitive cutoff for her chosen course.
“Consequently, her non-admission was in line with due process, as she did not rank high enough to fall within the selected limit,” the statement clarified.
While JAMB admitted that irregularities were found in other areas, this specific complainant was not a victim. “While the Board observed instances where some better-ranked candidates were indeed skipped and had ordered the reversal of those admissions, the said candidate was not affected by such irregularities,” the board noted.
Reaffirming its stance on equity, the board stressed: “JAMB remains resolute in ensuring that no candidate with a higher ranking is displaced by a lower-ranked candidate in the admission process.”
Finally, JAMB issued a stern warning to students about the dangers of spreading unverified information on digital platforms.
“The Board therefore advises candidates to refrain from allowing themselves to be used by individuals seeking attention or followership on social media through baseless allegations. Candidates are urged to verify claims of admission irregularities through appropriate and official channels before lending credence to or promoting such allegations.”
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