The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has warned tertiary institutions and candidates against conducting the 2025 admission process outside its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) portal. The board made this call after spotlighting two unnamed institutions that persuaded or pressured candidates for a change of course on their own admission portal.
In a statement on Monday, signed by JAMB’s Head of Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin, the board noted that the unethical conduct is an attempt by institutions to manipulate the admission process for preferred candidates. It mentioned that such behaviour is a clear manipulation of the merit-based process for fairness and transparency’s sake.
“The Board wishes to remind all candidates and institutions that all admission processes in Nigeria are conducted exclusively through CAPS, the platform created to ensure accountability, transparency, and equal opportunity in admission placements,” part of the statement reads.
In addition, the board advised candidates to disregard any request by institutions to change programmes made through institutional portals or unofficial channels.
Any candidate who is compelled to make such changes does so at his/her own detriment, as the changes will not reflect on the CAPS portal. JAMB noted that such candidate(s) will not be recognised for admission and shall be made to face the consequences alone.
“For institutions to engage in such backdoor manoeuvres clearly indicates an intent to deceive and shortchange candidates, and such acts will not be condoned by the Board,” it said.
In its findings, the board revealed that a tertiary institution in the South West and another in FCT Abuja were involved in this unethical practice. It added that proper regulatory actions have been taken to address the manipulation and ensure candidates are adequately protected.
The development comes amid JAMB’s extension of the deadline for 2025 public university admissions to November 17, 2025, from October 31. The decision results from the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities’ (AVCNU) appeal for extension over the recent disruption caused by court cases and course accreditations.
Also Read: UTME: 85 of 599 underage candidates who scored over 320 cleared for admission.
What you should know about JAMB CAPS
Introduced during the 2017/2018 session, the CAPS portal serves as an admission connection point for JAMB, candidates and choice of institution. It covers the process from having a UTME score to applying to an institution of choice, taking post-UTME or screening and finally getting admitted.
Moreover, the portal is developed to streamline and manage the admission process into tertiary institutions. The system allows candidates to upload their WAEC/NECO results, check their admission status, accept or reject offers, and manage their admission information in one place.
In summary, the portal helps candidates track admission status and accept/reject offers, while institutions recommend candidates and monitor the admission process. JAMB plays the overseer role in the entire process to ensure transparency
