The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has issued a stern warning to newly-established, upgraded, and adopted tertiary institutions against conducting illegal admissions, emphasizing that there will be no room for regularization.
Speaking during an interactive session with the principal officers of the affected institutions on Monday in Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, stressed that all admissions must be processed through the Central Admissions Processing System, CAPS, and must strictly adhere to due process.
“CAPS ensures transparency, fairness, and integrity in admissions. Any institution attempting to bypass this platform risks nullifying such admissions,” Oloyede said.
He called for full compliance from the over 80 newly-approved institutions by the Federal Government, urging them to align with the established admission procedures.
Oloyede explained that CAPS, introduced in 2017, automates and standardizes the admissions process, while the Integrated Brochure and Syllabus System, IBASS, launched in 2018, facilitates communication and programme eligibility verification. Both platforms, now upgraded with institutional email services, serve as JAMB’s sole official communication channels.
The registrar commended the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu for its commitment to expanding access to tertiary education, citing the approval of 22 new universities, 33 new polytechnics and monotechnics, and 12 new colleges of education between late 2024 and 2025.
He noted that while CAPS and IBASS accounts had been created for the new institutions, only programmes approved by the National Universities Commission, NUC, the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, and the National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCCE, would be activated.
Oloyede also outlined onboarding procedures for candidate admissions, urging institutions to designate officers to manage CAPS and IBASS access.
“JAMB will provide full technical support, but compliance is non-negotiable. Institutions must avoid shortcuts. There’s no justification for admitting students through the backdoor,” he added.
A live demonstration of the CAPS and IBASS platforms followed the session to familiarize institutions with their operational protocols.
Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Prof. William Qurix, said the meeting aimed to acquaint institutional heads with the operations of CAPS and IBASS, which are now essential tools for communicating and interacting with JAMB.
Qurix acknowledged that some candidates had already registered for JAMB before certain new universities or polytechnics were approved or established, making it difficult for them to attract students.
“But this process has now been clarified for us. We’ve received assurances from JAMB of prompt responses to any inquiries sent through CAPS or IBASS. This meeting has been enlightening and will have a significant impact,” he said.
Earlier, the Director of Colleges at the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Uche Uba, emphasized that new institutions must meet the criteria set by the NUC.
She urged colleges of education recently upgraded to dual-mode, offering both degrees and NCE, to engage with the NUC for proper guidance.
“I advise these colleges to meet with NUC. The last time we invited them, only seven out of 15 showed up. It’s very important. NUC must carry out resource verification. You’re now operating independently, it’s different from what you did before,” she explained.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of the NCCE, Prof. Paulinus Okwelle, commended JAMB for streamlining the admission process through the adoption of innovative technology.
“From the point where students apply for university admission to taking the UTME and gaining entry, JAMB has introduced cutting-edge solutions that make the entire process easier,” he said.
Okwelle encouraged the newly-approved colleges of education operating a dual-mode system to strictly follow approved procedures to remain competitive.
