The new policy also places obligations on candidates offered admission through CAPS.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has directed public universities across Nigeria to conclude admissions for the 2025/2026 academic session on or before 31 October.
The meeting brought together vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts and other education stakeholders to review admission procedures and harmonise timelines for institutions nationwide.
JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, a professor, said the timelines are aimed at streamlining the admission process and ensuring greater uniformity across tertiary institutions.
According to the resolutions adopted at the meeting, “all public universities are expected to conclude their admission processes on or before 31 October, 2026.”
The meeting also resolved that “private universities have been given until 30 November to complete admissions,” while other tertiary institutions are to conclude their exercises “not later than 31 December.”
Beyond fixing deadlines, JAMB introduced stricter sanctions for institutions that fail to complete admissions within the approved timeline.
The board warned that any institution that fails to conclude admissions within the stipulated period would lose access to candidates on the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS).
The new policy also places obligations on candidates offered admission through CAPS.
JAMB announced a four-week grace period for candidates to either accept or reject admission offers.
It added that any admission not accepted within the timeframe would be deleted upon the institution’s request.
The board further warned that candidates who refuse admission could face penalties, including possible disqualification from future consideration.
The document described such cases as “refusal to accept,” which it said would be “punishable by ineligibility to be admitted again.”
