The Federal Government has dismissed reports claiming that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is no longer required for admission into tertiary institutions, describing them as false and misleading.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, made this known in a statement on Wednesday through the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
Alausa said the Federal Government had not made any policy changes regarding tertiary admissions.
“The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa CON, wishes to categorically state that this report is false, baseless, and did not originate from the Federal Ministry of Education. At no point did the Ministry issue or authorize any statement suggesting that JAMB is no longer mandatory for admission into tertiary institutions,” the statement read.
Clarification on JAMB’s role
According to the Ministry, the established processes for university, polytechnic, and college admissions have not changed.
“For the avoidance of doubt, JAMB remains the statutory and legally empowered body responsible for conducting entrance examinations and coordinating admissions into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The established admission processes through JAMB remain fully operational, and any contrary information should be disregarded in its entirety,” they stated
The Ministry reaffirmed its position, stressing that it has no connection to the misleading publication and calling on the public, especially prospective students, parents, and tertiary institutions, to depend only on official communication channels of the Ministry and JAMB for credible and verified information.
- Dr. Alausa also cautioned media organisations, bloggers, and online platforms against publishing unverified information that could mislead the public.
- He said the Ministry remains committed to protecting the integrity of the admission process and ensuring that merit and due process guide all admissions into higher institutions.
He further warned that the spread of fake news within the education sector could cause unnecessary confusion and undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
What you should know
The Federal Government’s clarification on JAMB’s role comes shortly after it approved new admission guidelines to expand access to higher education. The new policy is to make it easier for more Nigerians to gain admission by adjusting entry requirements across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
- While universities will still require five credits, including English, Mathematics will now only be compulsory for Science, Technology, and Social Science courses. Unlike the previous requirement of at least five credit passes in not more than two sittings, including English and Mathematics, regardless of course or institution type.
- With these changes, the Ministry projects that an additional 250,000 to 300,000 students could be admitted each year.
- Polytechnics and colleges of education can now admit students with a minimum of four relevant credits, depending on the programme.
The National Innovation Diploma (NID) has also been scrapped, with Innovation Enterprise Academies now issuing National Diplomas (NDs) to align with national standards. The Ministry stressed that the reforms will not lower academic standards but are meant to create fairer and more flexible opportunities for Nigerian students.