The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has directed all tertiary institutions involved in irregular admissions to reverse such admissions with immediate effect, stressing that the move is aimed at preserving fairness, transparency and merit in Nigeria’s admission process.

The directive was contained in JAMB’s latest weekly bulletin, signed by its Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, and made available to the sources in Abuja on Monday.

According to the board, its attention was drawn to reports indicating that some institutions allegedly bypassed higher-ranked candidates in favour of lower-ranked ones during the 2024/2025 admission exercise, contrary to established admission guidelines.

JAMB said the development was unacceptable and constituted a clear violation of the rules governing admissions into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.

“The Board has observed with concern instances where higher-ranked candidates are reportedly being skipped in favour of lower-ranked candidates during admissions by some tertiary institutions,” the bulletin stated.

The board, therefore, ordered the affected institutions to immediately reverse such admissions and ensure strict compliance with approved procedures.

JAMB reiterated that admissions into tertiary institutions in Nigeria are guided by a three-tier framework comprising Merit, Catchment Area and Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS), adding that candidates must be admitted strictly in line with their rankings within each category.

It warned that no institution is permitted to sidestep a better-qualified or higher-ranked candidate under any of the categories in favour of a lower-ranked applicant.

“Any deviation from the approved admission order will not be tolerated by the Board,” JAMB cautioned.

The board also clarified issues surrounding a recent complaint by a candidate who alleged that she was unjustly denied admission to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) despite scoring high in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB explained that its investigation revealed that several candidates with higher rankings were ahead of the complainant, and that the admission process in that particular case did not breach any guideline.

The board urged candidates and parents to verify admission-related complaints through official JAMB platforms rather than relying on unverified claims circulating on social media.

JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to upholding merit, equity and transparency in the nation’s admission system and pledged to continue monitoring institutions to ensure full compliance with its regulations.