A concerned parent and educational stakeholder, Muhammed Setonji Giwa, has petitioned the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), calling for an urgent review of its admission policy.
In the petition addressed to the Registrar of JAMB, Giwa revealed that the current policy creates a false impression of abundant opportunities for candidates.
He explained that despite being required to select multiple institutions (university, polytechnic, college of education), second-choice institutions rarely, if ever, offer admission, even when candidates meet all set requirements. This practice, he argues, deceives students and wastes their efforts.
According to him “It has become clear that this policy is not only misleading but also financially exploitative and educationally counterproductive,” Giwa stated in his petition. Past JAMB guidelines and statements have indeed indicated that many institutions, particularly federal universities, primarily consider candidates who select them as their first choice, and that the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) often prioritizes the first choice.”
The statement reads in parts “I write as a concerned parent and stakeholder in Nigeria’s educational sector, to express dissatisfaction with the current admission policy enforced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which mandates candidates to select multiple institutions of choice, University, Polytechnic, College of Education, etc., yet only the first choice institution considers candidates for admission.”
”It has become clear that this policy is not only misleading but also financially exploitative and educationally counterproductive. Under the current system:
Therefore listed that, Second-choice institutions do not offer admission, even when the candidates meet all academic and institutional requirements.”
“Candidates are still mandated to select multiple institutions, even though only the first choice matters in reality.”
“This practice creates a false impression of multiple opportunities, thereby deceiving candidates and wasting their efforts.”
“More concerning is the compulsory payment of an additional fee for a Change of Institution Form when candidates wish to re-prioritize their institution choices, typically when they discover (often too late) that their second-choice institution will not consider them for admission.”
“This creates unnecessary financial strain on students and parents, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds, as they must pay extra to correct a system-imposed limitation.”
“This policy is found to be unfair and inconsistent with the values of transparency, accessibility, and educational equity. It frustrates the ambitions of many students and defeats the purpose of having alternative institutions in the selection process.”
To this end, Giwa urged JAMB to either revert to the previous structure where students could write separate entrance examinations for Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education, thereby expanding genuine admission opportunities.
“Mandate Polytechnics and Colleges of Education to consider and admit candidates who selected them as second choices, provided academic requirements are met.”
“Abolish or restructure the Change of Institution policy, ensuring that students are not exploited by being forced to pay to fix a flaw in the system, and Provide clear and honest information at the point of UTME registration, so candidates can make informed decisions without fear of hidden limitations.”
He said thousands of candidates lose admission opportunities each year due to this bureaucratic bottleneck, therefore said an urgent reform of this policy is in the best interest of fairness, national development, and the future of Nigerian students.