The decision was among several measures agreed during a weekend meeting between JAMB management, led by Registrar Prof. Isaq Oloyede, and education commissioners from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Ikeja, Lagos. The gathering was convened to review the previous year’s UTME and strengthen the integrity of the examination process.
Concession Cancelled Amid Evidence of Abuse
Prof. Oloyede revealed that some candidates have manipulated the registration system by falsely claiming to be albinos, using artificial intelligence and other methods to create convincing documentation. He said the board recorded over 7,000 candidates claiming to be albinos in the last exam cycle alone.
“We have stopped some concessions we gave albino candidates. This is because some are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to manipulate the registration process to look like they are albinos because of the consideration we gave them,” he said. “Last year alone, over 7,000 claimed to be albinos. We have stopped special registration procedures for albinos.”
Faith-Based Schools Must Declare Status Upfront
The board also addressed complaints from students admitted into private institutions that later imposed strict religious rules. JAMB urged faith-based schools to clearly state their religious affiliation from the start to avoid misleading applicants.
“Faith-based institutions should declare from the onset what they are, so that whoever applies there will know what he is going to meet there,” Oloyede said. “They will pretend to be secular in nature but when students are now admitted, trouble will begin regarding religious instructions and injunctions.”
He added that the law permits faith-based institutions but stressed the need for transparency in admissions.
Undergraduates Writing UTME: Disclosure Now Mandatory
The board also raised concerns about university undergraduates sitting for UTME, sometimes to help others secure admission. In a notable case, JAMB discovered that the highest-scoring candidate last year was already a 300-level student.
“Students who are already in school but want to change courses and are applying again must declare and disclose their status,” Oloyede said. “We have found out that some candidates already in school do write the examination for other candidates.”
He warned that candidates found engaging in such acts without proper disclosure will be disqualified and may lose their current admission.
Admission Criteria and State University Expansion Under Scrutiny
On admission quotas, Oloyede reiterated that federal institutions allocate 45% of admissions on merit, 20% for catchment areas, 20% for educationally disadvantaged states, and the remaining 15% for other categories. He urged state institutions to reserve at least 10% of admissions for merit to encourage diversity and attract high-performing candidates from across Nigeria.
He also criticised some state governments for establishing new universities despite failing to fill admission quotas in federal institutions.
Underage Candidates: Special Assessment to Continue
The issue of underage admissions also dominated discussions. JAMB reported that about 42,000 candidates claimed to be underage last year, but only 78 met the criteria for university admission after assessment.
“For now, 16 years is the admission age,” Oloyede said. “If anybody is not up to that age, he has to meet the requirement of scoring 80% in the UTME and the post-UTME screening.”
While some commissioners advocated for a programme to keep underage candidates engaged during the gap year, the board voted to continue special assessment for such candidates.
Additional Anti-Malpractice Measures Introduced
To curb exam malpractice, JAMB said it will stop the transfer of computers between accredited CBT centres, noting that some centres borrow equipment to meet accreditation requirements and later move them to other locations.
“A computer that is registered in a particular centre will remain there and not transferable to another centre,” Oloyede said.
He also assured candidates that JAMB would not post them to towns they did not select, emphasizing that candidate information is sourced from their National Identification Number (NIN), ensuring accuracy in personal data.
UTME Statistics and Rewards for Compliance
Prof. Oloyede provided an update on last year’s UTME, stating that 974,855 candidates have been admitted so far out of the approximately 1.95 million who sat the exam. He added that JAMB has distributed over N2.4 billion to institutions that adhered to its rules over the past decade.
The meeting also resolved that schools producing top-performing candidates should be rewarded.
On the accreditation process, JAMB said CBT centres are evaluated by a panel including a university vice chancellor, rector, and provost. The board warned state governments against entering agreements with private promoters who might use CBT centres for malpractice.