The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a stern warning to universities across Nigeria to immediately cease issuing independent admission letters to prospective candidates, reiterating that tertiary institutions lack the legal mandate to do so.
​The warning was contained in an official statement issued on Monday, October 19, 2026, from the Board’s National Headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, by Prof. Oluwatoyin Aina, JAMB’s Director of Public Affairs.
​Speaking on behalf of the Board, Prof. Aina emphasized that JAMB remains the sole statutory body legally empowered to issue official admission letters to candidates seeking entry into Nigerian higher institutions, including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
​He expressed concern over the persistent practice by some institutions offering direct admissions, noting that such acts deceive unsuspecting candidates into believing they have secured legitimate entry into tertiary programs.
​”The irony of the situation is that once candidates see a document emanating from an institution purporting to offer them admission, they believe that it is real,” Prof. Aina stated. “We charge universities guilty of this ignoble act to desist immediately, as they also have the responsibility of ensuring that candidates obtain the right documents from the Board.”
​Reiterating directives from the Federal Ministry of Education, JAMB reaffirmed that all tertiary admissions must strictly run through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). Any admission granted outside CAPS is illegal, invalid, and nullified.
​According to the Board, no institution is permitted to substitute its proprietary notification letters for the official JAMB admission letter, which can only be generated after a candidate formally accepts an offer on the CAPS platform.
​The Board highlighted the severe risks faced by candidates who accept unauthorised institutional offers. Only admissions processed through CAPS and backed by an official JAMB letter will be recognised for mobilization by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) upon graduation.
Unrecognised admissions lead to severe complications regarding official matriculation records, transcript verification, and post-graduate processing.
​JAMB advised prospective students to log into the official JAMB e-Facility portal to verify and accept their offers via CAPS before paying acceptance fees or completing institutional registrations.
