The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has instructed Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions to undo irregular admission decisions.
The directive follows the board’s identification of cases in which candidates with higher rankings were overlooked in favour of lower-scoring applicants.
In a weekly bulletin released in Abuja, JAMB said the practice “runs contrary to the rules guiding admissions into Nigerian higher institutions” and must be corrected immediately.
Affected institutions have been cautioned and directed to reverse the disputed admissions without delay.
The board reiterated that selections must follow its three-tier framework — Merit, Catchment Area and Educationally Less Developed States, with candidates chosen strictly in descending order of ranking within each category.
“Any situation in which a better-ranked candidate is skipped for a lower-ranked candidate … will not be tolerated,” JAMB said.
JAMB also responded to a recent allegation by a candidate who said she was unfairly denied admission by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
After reviewing the case, the board said the candidate’s non-admission was consistent with ranking order and was not linked to the irregularities identified.
The board urged applicants to rely on official information from JAMB and institutions, and to avoid spreading unverified claims on social media.
It said those seeking clarification on admission issues should use proper channels.
The directive is part of ongoing efforts to enforce fairness and transparency in the university admission process amid concerns about compliance with established procedures.