The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a firm directive to Nigerian universities, instructing them to immediately undo any admissions that violate established guidelines. The Board warned institutions against admitting candidates with lower rankings while ignoring those who performed better.

This move reinforces JAMB’s determination to uphold fairness, transparency, and credibility in the university admission process nationwide.

How JAMB’s Admission Allocation System Works

JAMB operates a structured admission framework that distributes available slots across three clearly defined categories:

• Merit quota – 45%
  
• Catchment area – 35%
  
• Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS) – 20%
  

These percentages guide how institutions admit candidates, but ranking remains the deciding factor within each category.

Explaining the policy, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, stated that admissions must follow strict ranking order. Candidates with higher scores must be considered first, regardless of the quota under which they fall.

He stressed that no category permits bypassing better-ranked candidates in favour of lower-ranked ones.

“Any instance where a candidate with a lower ranking is admitted ahead of a higher-ranked candidate under any quota will not be accepted,” he stated.

Merit Takes Priority Across All Admission Categories

JAMB clarified that merit applies within every quota, including catchment and ELDS allocations. Universities are therefore expected to rank candidates properly before making selections.

Failure to comply with this rule constitutes a breach of national admission policy and may attract sanctions.

JAMB Clears UNN of Alleged Admission Irregularities

The Board also addressed recent claims accusing the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) of unfair admission practices. After conducting an investigation, JAMB dismissed the allegations as baseless.

According to the Board, the candidate cited in the complaint was not unfairly treated. Several candidates with higher rankings were ahead of her on the admission list, making her non-selection consistent with due process.

JAMB noted that similar allegations are often fueled by individuals who encourage candidates to raise unfounded complaints for personal benefit.

The Board reaffirmed that it thoroughly investigates every report before reaching conclusions, ensuring both institutional integrity and candidate protection.

What This Means for Universities

Following this directive, all tertiary institutions are expected to:

• Review their admission lists immediately
  
• Reverse any admission that violates ranking order
  
• Ensure future recommendations strictly follow JAMB policies
  

While universities recommend candidates, JAMB retains final validation authority through the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), ensuring nationwide compliance.

What Candidates Should Know

For applicants, the directive offers reassurance that:

• Admission decisions are protected by ranking and merit
  
• Higher-performing candidates cannot be unfairly displaced
  
• CAPS remains the official platform for verifying admission status
  

Candidates are encouraged to monitor their admission progress only through official JAMB channels and ignore third-party misinformation.

Final Note

JAMB’s latest action underscores its zero-tolerance stance on admission malpractice. By enforcing ranking discipline and reversing irregular admissions, the Board continues to safeguard equity, accountability, and trust in Nigeria’s higher education system.

Merit remains the foundation of university admission and JAMB has made it clear that no institution is exempt from this principle.