The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has warned that it will take firm regulatory action against tertiary institutions found to be pressuring high-scoring candidates to switch from competitive programmes to less subscribed courses.
JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, issued the warning in a statement on Monday, describing the alleged practice as an unethical attempt to manipulate the merit-based admission process in favour of less-qualified candidates.
The Board stressed that all admission processes must be strictly conducted through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). It condemned the use of internal school portals to compel or influence candidates, saying such actions constitute a direct violation of due process.
“Any change of programme or admission activity carried out outside the JAMB CAPS is unauthorized, unethical, and potentially harmful to affected candidates,” the statement read.
According to JAMB, preliminary investigations have already exposed one university in the South-West and another in Abuja engaging in the illegal manipulation of merit lists. Regulatory steps have been initiated against the institutions.
While advising candidates to ignore internal directives to alter their programme choices, the Board said students who eventually approve such changes on CAPS will be considered to have done so willingly and therefore must bear the consequences.
JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and a merit-driven admission system throughout the 2025 admission cycle and beyond.
