In a formal statement, NANS Senate President Akinteye Afeez urged the board, chaired by Professor Is-haq Oloyede, to exercise compassion and prioritize the future prospects of the affected graduates. He emphasized that the irregularities resulting in the annulment were primarily attributable to institutional management's failure to adhere to JAMB's admission guidelines.
Afeez underscored the serious repercussions of this decision, stating, “The implications of this decision are dire and far-reaching. Students who have dedicated years to their academic pursuits, faced financial and emotional challenges, and successfully graduated, including those who took loans, are now being deprived of their hard-earned degrees.”
He cautioned that this policy could drive many affected students into states of depression, frustration, and even criminal behavior as they confront the harsh realities of an already struggling economy.
NANS has also called for urgent intervention from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Honorable Minister of Education. According to NANS, the Federal Government must act swiftly to resolve this issue and mitigate further harm to the lives and careers of these graduates.
“We also call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Honorable Minister of Education to urgently intervene in this matter. The Federal Government must call JAMB to order to prevent this policy from wreaking further havoc on the lives of Nigerian students. Failure to address this issue promptly will compel NANS to mobilize affected students nationwide for a mass protest to the Presidential Villa by January 2025.”
NANS urged JAMB to direct its disciplinary measures toward the implicated institutions' administrators, rather than imposing penalties on uninvolved students.
Given the escalating situation, stakeholders and education advocates are closely observing whether JAMB will comply with NANS' request and reconsider its stance on the 2025/2026 admissions.
Currently, the future of more than 7,000 graduates remains uncertain, pending a resolution to a crisis that has the potential to shape the landscape of higher education administration in Nigeria.