Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in 2022 to discuss admission policies for Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The minimal cut-off mark for admissions for the 2022/2023 academic session has been announced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), heads of tertiary institutions, and other stakeholders in the nation’s education sector.
At a policy meeting on admissions in Abuja, the stakeholders announced a minimum cut-off score of 140 for admission into Nigerian universities, 100 for polytechnics, and 100 for colleges of education. The meeting was presided over by Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, declared the cut-off following lengthy discussions and votes by vice chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics, and provosts of colleges of education.
Each university may establish its own cut-off mark up to 220, he said, but no one will be permitted to go below the established minimum score of 100 for colleges of education and 100 for polytechnic institutions.
Only 378,639 of the 1,761,338 applicants who took the UTME in 2022 got a score of 200 or higher, according to the JAMB registrar.
Oloyede further noted that 378,639 candidates obtained a score of 200 or higher, 520,596 candidates obtained a score of 190 or higher, 704,991 candidates obtained a score of 180 or higher, 934,103 candidates obtained a score of 170 or higher, and 1,192,050 candidates obtained a score of 160 or higher.
Oloyede went on to say that candidates awaiting results were allowed to register for the 2022 UTME.
“JAMB permitted candidates awaiting results to register and sit for the 2022 UTME. These applicants cannot be considered for admission while their results are pending. Prior to the start of admissions, they must upload their O-level results to the board’s website, said Oloyede.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, urged all institutions to strictly adhere to all admission regulations prescribed by regulatory bodies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), “particularly with regards to approved quotas, ratios, and other specifications meant for improved quality, accountability, and equity.”
“During the 2021 Policy Meeting, I recommended tertiary institutions to embrace a more flexible admissions process, so long as all acts adhere to the standards. Injurious is a one-size-fits-all approach, therefore the statutory requirements that in the performance of its duties, JAMB should not destroy the distinctiveness and distinctive characteristics of each of the Institutions.
According to him, “In 2017, we implemented the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) in an effort to abolish the archaic activities surrounding admission procedures in favour of enhancing admissions’ transparency and accountability. On this basis, it was mandatory that all admissions to Nigerian tertiary institutions must be conducted using the CAPS.
“This implies that all applications for regular and non-regular admissions to postsecondary schools must be processed through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in accordance with its enabling legislation. I am aware that JAMB issues distinct Advisories to guide various process-related areas. In the interest of the sector, I urge all Institutions to comply with these guidelines.
“At the most recent policy meeting, I approved that all illegitimate admissions from 2017 to 2020 would be tolerated as long as the candidates completed the minimum entry requirements for their respective programmes of study.
“I am aware that the process resulted in the impacted universities declaring about one million fraudulent admissions for the periods in question.
“As soon as the process is done, the required steps will be implemented to track and discipline all responsible Heads of Institutions, regardless of whether they are still in office or not.” I have directed a watchful watch on the 2021 and 2022 exercises in order to discover any violators and punish them harshly. I must underline that no violation will go unpunished, even after completing his or her term in office.”