The has warned tertiary institutions to stop admitting lower-scoring candidates ahead of better-qualified applicants, ordering the immediate reversal of admissions that violated established guidelines.
The board said its decision followed a recent audit that exposed admission practices where candidates with higher scores were deliberately bypassed in favour of those with lower marks. JAMB described the trend as a serious breach that weakens trust in Nigeria’s tertiary education system and undermines fairness in the admission process.
The directive was announced in JAMB’s weekly bulletin released on Monday in Abuja by its Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin. According to the bulletin, the board became concerned after receiving reports of irregular admissions across several institutions.
“The attention of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has been drawn to the conduct of admissions by some tertiary institutions, where higher-ranked candidates are reportedly being bypassed in favour of lower-ranked candidates,” the bulletin stated.
Reacting to the findings, the board said it had taken corrective action. “The board has cautioned the affected institutions and directed the immediate reversal of such irregular admissions,” JAMB said, adding that compliance with the directive was mandatory.
JAMB stressed that institutions must take responsibility for enforcing admission rules internally and not wait for external intervention. “Notwithstanding these reversals, JAMB reiterates its call on all institutions to strictly adhere to the established guidelines governing the selection and admission of candidates,” the bulletin added.
The board reminded stakeholders that admissions into Nigerian tertiary institutions operate under a three-tier structure comprising Merit, Catchment Area, and Educationally Less Developed States, ELDS. It emphasized that ranking remains compulsory within each category.
Clarifying how the rules should be applied, JAMB stated: “Each tier is guided strictly by ranking (merit), such that candidates with higher rankings must be selected first, followed by others in descending order. Any situation in which a better-ranked candidate is skipped for a lower-ranked candidate under any of these categories will not be tolerated by the Board.”
The board also addressed a widely discussed complaint involving a candidate who alleged she was unfairly denied admission by the . Following an investigation, JAMB dismissed the allegation, explaining that the candidate did not meet the competitive cutoff score for her chosen course.
“Consequently, her non-admission was in line with due process, as she did not rank high enough to fall within the selected limit,” the board clarified.
While acknowledging that some admission irregularities were discovered in other cases, JAMB said the complainant was not among those affected. “While the Board observed instances where some better-ranked candidates were indeed skipped and had ordered the reversal of those admissions, the said candidate was not affected by such irregularities,” it stated.
Reaffirming its position, the board said it remains committed to equity and transparency in admissions. “JAMB remains resolute in ensuring that no candidate with a higher ranking is displaced by a lower-ranked candidate in the admission process,” it said.
JAMB also cautioned candidates against spreading unverified claims online. “The Board therefore advises candidates to refrain from allowing themselves to be used by individuals seeking attention or followership on social media through baseless allegations,” the bulletin warned, urging students to verify complaints through official channels.
