The Federal Government has unveiled a set of reforms aimed at sanitising Nigeria’s tertiary admission system, including the enforcement of a minimum entry age of 16 years and the declaration that all admissions outside the Central Admissions Processing System, CAPS are illegal.
Speaking at the 2025 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, in Abuja, Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the decisions are anchored on the need to ensure fairness, transparency, and academic preparedness in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
Alausa stressed that the newly reinforced minimum admission age of 16 years is non-negotiable, describing it as a necessary balance between cognitive development and academic readiness. While acknowledging that exceptions exist for gifted children with proven accelerated educational progress, the minister cautioned institutions against altering age records to bypass this rule, warning that violators would face sanctions.
On admissions processing, the minister declared that any admission offered outside the CAPS platform would henceforth be regarded as illegal. CAPS, introduced in 2017, was designed to automate and regulate the admission process, eliminating human interference and administrative bottlenecks.
“Any admission conducted outside CAPS, regardless of its intentions, is illegal. Both institutions and candidates involved in such practices will be held accountable. Sanctions may include withdrawal of institutional assets and prosecution of culpable officers or governing council members,” Alausa said.
He reminded academic institutions that while their boards are responsible for initiating admissions, JAMB remains the statutory regulatory body tasked with oversight to guarantee equity and transparency. He urged vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and governing councils to intensify internal oversight and warned that the Ministry of Education would closely monitor compliance in collaboration with JAMB.
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To further strengthen the admission process, Alausa reaffirmed the integration of the National Identification Number into JAMB registration. He noted that the NIN requirement has helped curb identity fraud and multiple registrations, and warned that any abuse of the system would be detected and punished.
Alausa also announced the establishment of a Central Examination Malpractice Unit within the Federal Ministry of Education to act as a clearing house for documenting malpractice cases across education levels. This unit, chaired by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, will maintain a national database accessible to all institutions.
In addressing broader structural challenges, the minister expressed concern over underutilised capacity across tertiary institutions. He revealed that over 120 universities received fewer than 50 applications in the current admission cycle, even as many programmes — including agriculture, education, engineering, and health sciences — remain undersubscribed.
“We have the capacity, but we are not admitting enough students. The problem is not access, it’s alignment and capacity. We don’t need to open a tertiary institution in every ward. Instead, we must expand and strengthen existing ones,” he said.
Supporting the reforms, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaib Salisu, called for the criminalisation of fraudulent admission practices. He condemned institutions that exploit loopholes to admit students outside proper channels, warning that such actions undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s education system.
He assured that the Senate would explore legislative options to hold institutions and their administrators accountable, while also advocating for a more inclusive education system that promotes national peace and economic development.
NAN
