The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cautioned prospective students against accepting admissions offered outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), warning that such admissions are illegal and may leave affected candidates without official recognition as university students.
The warning was issued on Wednesday during the 2026 Annual Education Summit of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ECAN) in Abuja. At the event, the National Universities Commission (NUC) also announced fresh measures aimed at curbing admission irregularities, strengthening quality assurance in universities and regulating the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education.
Speaking through JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, stressed that every valid admission into a Nigerian tertiary institution must be processed through CAPS and backed by an official JAMB admission letter.
He warned that candidates who secure admission through unofficial channels risk being excluded from JAMB’s matriculation list, which serves as the official record of legally admitted students.
According to him, institutions that bypass CAPS are violating established admission procedures, while candidates also have a responsibility to ensure their admissions follow the approved process.
“For an admission to be recognised, candidates must receive and print their JAMB admission letter. Any admission granted outside CAPS is illegal and may not be recognised,” he said.
Oloyede further reminded universities that they must not admit students beyond their approved carrying capacities. He explained that once an institution exceeds its quota, any additional admissions would be regarded as invalid by JAMB.
“If a department is approved to admit 50 students, admitting a 51st candidate amounts to an illegal admission because such a name will not appear on the official matriculation list,” he stated.
The JAMB Registrar urged admission seekers to verify the authenticity of every admission offer instead of relying solely on institutions, warning that failure to do so could jeopardise their academic future.
He also highlighted the benefits of the CAPS platform, noting that it has made the admission process more transparent by allowing candidates to monitor their admission status, compare their scores with admission requirements and make better-informed choices when selecting institutions and courses.
Oloyede explained that highly competitive programmes such as Medicine, Law and Nursing naturally demand higher scores due to intense competition, advising candidates with lower scores to consider less competitive courses or institutions where they stand a better chance of securing admission.
He also cautioned candidates against careless handling of their SIM cards, describing them as an important part of their digital identity in Nigeria’s computer-based examination system.
According to him, purchasing pre-registered SIM cards or allowing unauthorised SIM swaps could expose candidates to identity theft, examination malpractice and other forms of fraud.
Also speaking at the summit, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, represented by Malam Lawal Faruk, announced that the Commission would intensify post-matriculation inspections across universities to ensure institutions comply with their approved admission quotas.
He said NUC officials would scrutinise matriculation lists and admission records after every matriculation ceremony to identify institutions that admit students beyond approved capacities.
Ribadu disclosed that stronger sanctions are being considered as part of proposed amendments to the NUC Act to discourage violations of admission regulations.
Beyond admissions, he revealed that the Commission is working to improve graduate employability through compulsory industrial training, internships, entrepreneurship education and the introduction of national guidelines on micro-credentials to help students acquire industry-relevant skills.
He also said the NUC is collaborating with universities to automate transcript requests in a bid to reduce delays while maintaining the institutions’ authority over the certification of academic records.
On the growing use of Artificial Intelligence in higher education, Ribadu disclosed that the Commission has developed a national AI policy for universities and will begin annual compliance assessments to ensure institutions adopt the framework responsibly.
He added that universities will be required to submit yearly implementation reports, while lecturers will receive training to effectively manage AI-assisted teaching, learning and research.
The education summit brought together policymakers, regulators, academics, education journalists and other stakeholders to review ongoing reforms and explore strategies for improving transparency, accountability and quality in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.