The Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a stern warning to newly established institutions, urging them to avoid illegal admission practices and adhere strictly to due process during the upcoming 2024/2025 admission cycle.
The warning was made by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB Registrar, during an interactive session with principal officers of the newly established, upgraded, and adopted universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Abuja.
Oloyede emphasized the importance of following proper procedures for student admission, particularly through the ‘Market Place’ on the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), and made it clear that any institution caught admitting students illegally would face sanctions.
He warned both public and private institutions against illegal admissions, noting that some institutions might unknowingly commit such offenses.
“Whoever admits a candidate illegally will be dealt with,” he said, stressing that JAMB was committed to educating institutions about the correct processes to avoid violations.
The Registrar further highlighted the significance of automation, compliance, and capacity building for these new institutions as they integrate into Nigeria’s higher education system. He pointed out that the entire admission process is now automated, and paper mail is no longer accepted, requiring institutions to familiarize themselves with the regulatory framework guiding admissions on CAPS.
Oloyede also addressed the impact of ongoing ASUU strikes and overlapping academic sessions on the admission process, noting that JAMB had taken measures to ensure the smooth operation of its systems, including testing redundancies during mock UTME exams. He explained that the system was designed to accommodate multiple concurrent academic sessions, making the current situation more manageable.
With over 100 new tertiary institutions joining the country’s higher education landscape, including 15 upgraded federal colleges of education, 22 new universities, 33 new polytechnics, and 12 new colleges of education, Oloyede emphasized the need for new institutions to understand and comply with JAMB’s updated procedures.
Prof. Paulinus Okwelle, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), also stressed the increasing complexity of the admission process and the importance of new institutions adapting to the evolving procedures to compete fairly.
He commended JAMB’s efforts to modernize the system and introduced cutting-edge technology to improve the admissions process, urging the new institutions to leverage these advancements to excel.
(NAN)