By Christy Anyanwu
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has declared war on illegal admissions to eradicate malpractices in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
JAMB Coordinator, Abdulhakeem Abdulhammed, unveiled new strategies to enforce compliance and ensure merit-based admissions during a stakeholders’ meeting with admission officers from various institutions, yesterday, at the Redeemer’s College of Technology and Management (RECTEM) in Mowe, Ogun State.
Abdulhammed said JAMB is determined to eradicate illegal admissions to ensure all admissions are processed through the Central Admission Process System (CAPS).
“We will no longer tolerate admission malpractices. All admissions must be on CAPS. We have automated all our services, and institutions that fail to comply will face severe sanctions from the Minister of Education,” Abdulhammed said.
According to him, the new measures include complete automation of JAMB services, online accreditation of centres, remote examinations, and digital payment systems. He said institutions have been given a one-month grace to compile and disclose all undisclosed admissions, after which sanctions will be imposed on non-compliant institutions.
Abdulhammed said JAMB was committed to informing, correcting, and guiding institutions to adopt the Federal Government’s policies, saying the meeting marked a significant turning point in Nigeria’s fight against education corruption, and institutions are bracing themselves for a new era of transparency and accountability.
RECTEM Rector, Stella Mofunanya, emphasised the collective responsibility of ensuring a flawless admission process.
She commended the JAMB coordinator in Ogun State for convening the event at a critical juncture, when the nation’s educational standards are facing a decline and student enrolment processes are becoming increasingly complex.
She said the admission officer, registrar, and vice-chancellor/rector are the three principal officers in institutions, with the admission officer playing a vital role in policy meetings.
Ibiwoye stressed the importance of using CAPS, a communication platform that facilitates admissions processes. She explained that admission officers are responsible for setting up CAPS systems to guide admissions processes, analysing student applications to determine eligibility, and evaluating student applications to colleges, universities, and polytechnics.
“They are also expected to propose students for admission and explain the admission process to stakeholders, including heads of institutions,” she said.
Ibiwoye emphasized that admission officers must be guided by institutional admissions criteria and regulatory bodies’ decisions.”