… Warns institutions against bypassing CAPS
ABUJA – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday fixed 150 as the minimum admissible score for universities and colleges of nursing in the 2026 admission exercise.
It also warned tertiary institutions against granting admissions outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), declaring such admissions illegal.
The decisions were reached at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions organised by JAMB in Abuja.
At the meeting chaired by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, stakeholders also approved 100 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into polytechnics and monotechnics for the 2026 academic session.
The minister said the approved cut-off marks represented the minimum requirement for admission and must be strictly adhered to by all institutions, stressing that candidates must meet the prescribed standards.
Stakeholders at the meeting also agreed on timelines for the completion of admissions into tertiary institutions across the country.
Under the arrangement, public universities are expected to conclude admissions on or before October 31, 2026, while private universities are to complete theirs by November 30, 2026.
Polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education were advised to conclude their admission processes not later than December 31, 2026.
Speaking at the meeting, the JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, directed all tertiary institutions to strictly conduct admissions within the approved timelines, warning that any institution that failed to conclude its admission exercise before the deadline would lose access to candidates for that admission session.
Oloyede also announced that successful candidates must accept admission offers within four weeks, warning that failure to do so would lead to withdrawal of such offers and could render affected candidates ineligible for further admission consideration for the session.
He said the measures were aimed at ensuring fairness, transparency and timely completion of admissions nationwide.
The registrar also warned institutions against issuing admissions outside CAPS, saying some schools were still offering admission letters to candidates without JAMB approval, contrary to Federal Government directives.
According to him, the practice undermines transparency in the admission process and has resulted in situations where candidates with higher scores were denied admission while those with lower scores gained entry.
Oloyede disclosed that disciplinary actions had already commenced against affected institutions and that sanctions would be imposed on violators.
He further revealed that a case involving 11 universities over alleged illegal admissions was currently before the court.
The JAMB registrar also dismissed claims that candidates were posted outside their chosen examination towns during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
He explained that candidates personally selected their preferred examination towns during registration and were only assigned to centres within those locations.
According to him, investigations into the complaints confirmed that no candidate was posted outside his or her selected examination town, adding that the matter had also been reviewed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
Oloyede reiterated that all admissions into tertiary institutions must be processed strictly through CAPS and urged institutions to comply fully with approved admission procedures.
