The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has clarified the failure of Miss Kareem Kaamilah Omolarami, from being admitted into Nile University of Nigeria, despite scoring 371 marks in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
JAMB, in a statement by its Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, on Friday, said Omolarami had successfully scaled through the first two stages, but was officially reported absent by the Nile University of Nigeria during the third stage, the university’s internal screening exercise.
According to the Board, this report was formally transmitted to the Board by the institution, thereby rendering her ineligible to participate in the final screening exercise, which took place on Wednesday, 8th and 9th October 2025.
The statement concluded that the non-inclusion of Miss Kareem Kaamilah Omolarami in the final stage of the underage screening exercise was in complete conformity with established admission procedures and based solely on official information communicated by the admitting university.
“It is pertinent to note that Miss Kareem Kaamilah Omolarami, on Tuesday, 7th October 2025, raised a formal complaint (ticket) through the Board’s support platform, petitioning Nile University regarding her exclusion. In response, the Board has requested an official explanation from the university and is currently awaiting its report to enable a fair and evidence-based review of the matter.
“The Board reiterates that, while it is statutorily empowered to regulate and approve admissions into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the respective universities are responsible for recommending suitably qualified candidates based on their internal selection process that meets established outcomes. . Accordingly, JAMB’s actions are guided strictly by the verified information submitted by each institutions.
“In full recognition of institutional autonomy, the Board will proceed to release the results of the 84 successful underage candidates currently being processed to their respective institutions of choice, to enable the finalisation of their admissions,” it said.
The Board advised all candidates to to advise all candidates to exhaust the internal communication channels provided by JAMB for resolving complaints before approaching the media, as these channels are more effective in ensuring timely and accurate redress.
JAMB also reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to transparency, fairness, and strict adherence to due process in all its admission activities.
“It is important to note that the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) was introduced to standardise and automate the admission process across all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
“This innovation was specifically designed to eliminate human interference and ensure that all candidates are treated equitably, based solely on merit and established criteria.
“Under this system, all admissions must be processed exclusively through CAPS, and every candidate’s claim and credential must be duly uploaded, verified, and validated before consideration,” it noted.
Speaking on the criteria for admitting underage candidates, it said the Board established a rigorous four-stage screening process to identify and reward exceptional academic performance while upholding the integrity of the admission system.
“The stages are as follows: Attaining a minimum score of 320 in the UTME; Scoring at least 80% in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE); Achieving 80% in the university’s internal screening exercise; and Undergoing a final screening conducted by a JAMB-appointed panel comprising Vice-Chancellors, civil society representatives, education experts, and other distinguished professionals, during which the candidate must also score not less than 80%.
“A candidate becomes eligible for the next stage only after successfully meeting the requirements of the preceding one.
“Her non-invitation to the final stage was therefore not due to any administrative oversight, bias, or procedural lapse on the part of the Board, but rather a direct consequence of the university’s official report confirming her absence during its screening exercise,” it said.
