JAMB Releases 3 Key Requirements for UTME Candidates to Be Listed on National Matriculation List
- JAMB has listed three mandatory steps UTME candidates must follow to be included on the National Matriculation List
- The steps include accepting admission within the set timeline and printing both the original result slip and admission letter
- The move comes after over 4,000 graduates, including an orphaned graduate, Basola Jamiu Owodunni, were barred from NYSC due to alleged unverified or improperly processed admissions
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has outlined three critical steps candidates must fulfil to be included in the National Matriculation List.
The announcement, made during its 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, follows mounting concerns over admission irregularities that recently affected thousands of graduates across the country.
Source: Twitter
According to the new directive, candidates must accept their admission offer within the stipulated period, print their original JAMB result slip and print their original JAMB admission letter.
These measures, JAMB says, are meant to safeguard the integrity of the clearance process and ensure only legitimately admitted students are listed for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and other statutory recognitions.
Over 4000 graduates denied access to portal
The clarification comes on the heels of a national outcry involving over 4,000 graduates who were reportedly blocked from accessing their JAMB portals, many of whom were denied NYSC mobilisation.
Among the most high-profile cases was that of Basola Jamiu Owodunni, an orphan who graduated with a 4.41 CGPA in Civil Engineering from FUTA but was flagged by JAMB as not properly admitted.
Source: Twitter
Although Owodunni had presented admission letters issued through JAMB's platform, the board initially insisted that his name did not appear on CAPS (Central Admissions Processing System), rendering the admission “fraudulent” under current guidelines.
It took weeks of public advocacy—including interventions from education activist Alex Onyia and human rights campaigners—for the matter to be resolved.
Owodunni and many others in similar situations have now regained access to their JAMB records and are cleared for NYSC.
JAMB, however, maintained that any admission not processed through CAPS remains invalid, regardless of how convincing the supporting documents may appear.
“The fight against backdoor admissions transcends class, background, or personal circumstances,” the board stated.
The newly reiterated requirements are seen as JAMB’s effort to close gaps in its system and prevent future occurrences. Stakeholders are urging candidates and institutions to comply strictly with these standards to avoid unnecessary complications.
Reform JAMB, don’t scrap it, youth advocate urges
Meanwhile, a youth development advocate has called for reforms in JAMB, saying the examination body remains critical to Nigeria’s education system.
Kingdom Ogoegbunam, executive director of Platform for Youth and Women Development, said reforming JAMB would strengthen its capacity to deliver fair and transparent admissions rather than eliminating it.
“What we need is reform, not removal,” Ogoegbunam told Legit.ng in an exclusive chat.
“JAMB plays a critical role in standardising admissions across the country, ensuring a level playing field for all candidates regardless of background.”
His comments come amid public debate over the future of the agency, with some critics pushing for the abolition of JAMB on the grounds that it has outlived its usefulness, especially after the glitch that affected the 2025 results.
However, Ogoegbunam warned that scrapping the institution could deepen inequality and reduce oversight in Nigeria’s already strained tertiary education sector.
"While I understand the public frustration regarding the errors recorded in the 2025 UTME, I do not support the call to scrap JAMB," he said.
Established in 1978, JAMB is responsible for administering the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and regulating admissions into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country.
JAMB lists states with most UTME malpractice
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had disclosed that Anambra and Lagos recorded the most incidents of malpractice during the recently concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Speaking at a media briefing over the weekend, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed that 80 individuals have so far been apprehended for various exam-related offences across the country. Anambra led the list with 14 suspects, closely followed by Lagos with nine.
According to Oloyede, the offences ranged from impersonation and possession of prohibited devices to biometric fraud and collusion with Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.
Legit.ng's head of politics and current affairs desk, Nurudeen Lawal, contributed a youth development advocate, Kingdom Ogoegbunam's reaction to this report.
Source: Legit.ng
