The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has given a one-month deadline to all tertiary institutions in the country involved in illegal admission of students before 2017, to submit to the board list of affected students for “condonement” in line with the waiver granted by the Federal Government.

This came as JAMB has described as fake and fraudulent a strange admissions practice labelled as “Daily-Part-Time” (DPT) by certain polytechnics and “Top Up” (TU) by some universities, and warned candidates against enrollment for the programmes.

Public Communication Advisor of JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, speaking at a news conference on Sunday in Abuja on behalf of the board’s registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, maintained that admission of candidates outside the approved Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) platform is illegal and would no longer be condoned by the board.

He insisted that JAMB would no longer entertain absorption of illegal admissions through the window of “Condonement of Illegal Admissions without Registration number”.

This window which is used to absorb, for the candidates’ sake, illegal admissions that were conducted before 2017.

Recall that CAPS was introduced in 2017 to ensure accuracy, records, transparency, accountability, fairness, and equity in admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Benjamin said: “The attention of the Board has been drawn to the predilection of some institutions to admit candidates outside the approved Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) platform and process such through the condonement of illegal admissions window to accord legitimacy.

“In order to close this abused window, the Board has decided that: all institutions should now (or never) disclose all candidates illegally admitted prior to 2017 whose records are in their system within the next one month beginning from 1st August 2024; and any admission purportedly given prior to 2017 will no longer be recognised or condoned unless disclosed within this one-month window.

“Institutions are advised to comply with this directive as there will not be any further condonement of hitherto unrecorded candidates who did not even register with JAMB not to talk of sitting for any entrance examination.

“This move is aimed at curbing illegal admissions and falsification of records while ensuring compliance with the provisions of CAPS.”

He said the decision marks the end of the Condonement of Illegal Admissions window, which previously allowed institutions to incorporate unauthorised admissions into the system.

Benjamin highlighted concerns over institutions colluding with candidates to falsify details for illegal admissions, which has led to fraudulent participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

He said despite warnings, some institutions continue to admit candidates outside CAPS and seek the Condonement of Undisclosed Illegal Institutional Admissions (CUIIA).

“Consequently, the Board is terminating the aspect of CUIIA process which allows completely unregistered candidates (without registration) to be introduced to the system.

“CAPS is the only authorized platform for admissions. Those who even have registration but were illegally admitted between the period (2017-2020) would soon be denied the opportunity of the waiver unless they are disclosed within the next one month.

“Therefore, all institutions are hereby directed to disclose, for the final time, all candidates admitted illegally within their systems. Moving forward, the Board will not tolerate any undisclosed admission by any institution,” he said.

Speaking further, Benjamin said recent worse discoveries made it imperative for the Board to speak out to save the integrity of the education system.

On the issue of the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions for the 2024/2025 session, the board maintained that the minimum age for admission remains 16 years.

“For the 2024 admission cycle, candidates who will be at least sixteen years old at the time of admission will be considered eligible. This decision follows the directive from the Chairman of the 2024 tertiary admission policy meeting, who is also the Honourable Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN, OON that the extant policy of 6-3-3-4 be enforced only from the 2025 session.

“The alarming avalanche of obviously false affidavits and upsurge of doctored upward age adjustments on NIN slips being submitted to JAMB to upgrade recorded age is dangerous, inimical and unnecessary. Only those below 16 would not and should not be admitted in accordance with the decision of the 2024 Policy Meeting,” he said.

He further expressed concern over the new trend of a strange admissions practice labelled as “Daily- Part-Time” (DPT) by certain polytechnics and “Top Up” (TU) by some universities.

According to him, a recent and particularly egregious example of this is the advertisement placed by Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, in Oyo State, inviting candidates to apply for its two-year Daily Part-Time (DPT) programme.

“It is crucial to clarify that no such programmes are approved by National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) nor by National Universities Commission (NUC). Both are also alien to the education system in Nigeria.

“They are fraudulent devices to side-line quality, approved quota for full time admission, falsify records and consequently, rake illegitimate income and derail the ambition and career of innocent (and some equally crooked) candidates. The candidates with zero or abysmally low UTME score are rationally attracted to such contraption which would lead to nowhere.

“Part-time programmes are strictly regulated, allowing institutions to admit only up to 150% of the approved full-time capacity. However, some institutions have been found to admit an excessive number of candidates through this unrecognized DPT programme, merging them with full-time students in classrooms and purporting to graduate them at the same time with full-time students.

“We strongly advise candidates seeking admission to be cautious of such programmes and avoid them, as they are not recognized and will not be tolerated under any regularization or condoment.

“Part-time programmes, by definition and regulation, are conducted on a part-time basis and are distinct from full-time programmes.

“Institutions, with such advertisement particularly Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, are hereby directed to retract this misleading advertisement immediately. Failure to comply will result in severe sanctions.

“We urge all candidates to pursue education through legitimate and recognized educational pathways.

“Be reminded of the previous futile requests from candidates enrolled on such programmes to be mobilized for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. The programme is fundamentally flawed,” Benjamin stated.