The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a fresh warning to Nigerian universities: stop issuing admission letters to candidates, because doing so is outside your legal mandate.
Registrar Prof. Segun Aina delivered the warning on October 15, 2026, while receiving a delegation from Veritas University, Bwari, Abuja, at his office.
According to Aina, JAMB is the only body statutorily empowered to issue official admission letters to candidates seeking entry into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria, including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
Aina pointed to a troubling pattern. Once candidates see a document that appears to come from an institution offering them admission, they believe it is genuine.
He therefore directed universities engaged in the practice to stop immediately. In addition, he said institutions have a responsibility to ensure candidates obtain the correct documents from the Board.
The warning is not new. In May 2026, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede said admissions outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) were illegal, and that a case involving 11 universities was already in court.
CAPS: The Only Recognised Route
Aina recalled that the Federal Ministry of Education had explicitly mandated that all admissions be conducted through CAPS. Anything done contrary to that directive is illegal and invalid.
As a consequence, no institution is permitted to substitute its own letters for the official JAMB admission letter issued by the Board after a candidate has accepted admission on CAPS.
The implications extend beyond admission itself. Only admissions offered through CAPS are recognised for mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among other purposes.
Meanwhile, JAMB has previously warned that candidates admitted outside the approved process risk being stranded, as their names will not appear on the matriculation list.
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