Tertiary institutions in Nigeria would begin admissions processing for candidates for the 2020/2021 academic session from 21st August, 2020.
This is in furtherance of resolutions reached at the 2020 Admissions Policy Meeting held on 16th June.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which convened the virtual meeting has told the heads of the nation’s higher institutions of the guidelines for 2020/2021 admissions.
In the guidelines addressed to the Vice-Chancellors, rectors and provosts of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, respectively, JAMB, warned against flouting decisions of the policy meeting.
JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede signed the guidelines noting that institutions chosen as First and Second Choices would commence their admissions exercises on 21st August.
JAMB clarified that how long this would last would be determined by the Federal Ministry of Education and communicated to all the institutions”.
In previous years, the processing lasts two months in these two categories.
But with the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that the timeline might not apply as most academic and non-academic staff members involved in admissions processing have been working remotely in the past four months.
Schools across Nigeria have been shut since 25th March to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
JAMB said the uncertainties of the pandemic makes it impossible to fix a terminal date.
The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which heralded this admissions process was conducted in February with over 1.9 million candidates registering for the exams.
Transparency in admissions processing
The examining body challenged institutions on carrying out all admissions in honest and transparent manners.
It explained that, “the guidelines for 2020 Admission Exercise, which are expected to guide all the participants in admission process.”
“All heads of institutions and admission officers are advised to carefully study and understand the content of the document with a view to implementing it fully for a seamless and transparent admission exercise,” it said.
“The decisions as well as the policy directives as contained in the address of the Honourable Minister of Education at the Policy Meeting shall serve as the guidelines for the 2020 Admissions Exercise.
“All Heads of Tertiary Institutions are to ensure total compliance with the guidelines.
”Sanctions shall be applied to institutions that violate the decisions,” it warned.
CAPS compulsory
JAMB which insisted that the 2020/2021 Academic Session admissions exercise would be conducted through the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS).
CAPS is a digital innovation introduced by JAMB to coordinate admissions processes electronically since 2018.
Unlike in previous times when school officials have to travel to the JAMB headquarters to resolve admissions queries, they have been doing same online in the past three years.
JAMB said tha, “No Institution is allowed to publish, announce, exhibit or paste any name(s) of admitted candidate without prior approval of the name on CAPS.”
On the personnel directly involved with CAPS, JAMB explained that the “principal participants are the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as Chairman; Heads of Tertiary Institutions; Director of Admissions (JAMB) Admission Officers of Tertiary Institutions; JAMB Desk Officers; and Candidates.”
JAMB tasked the three higher institutions’ regulatory bodies – The National Universities Commission (NUC); the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) to collaborate with it to ensure full compliance with the guidelines.
All admissions must go through JAMB
The board said it has stopped illegal or irregular admission in any form, saying all admissions must pass through it.
The guidelines read further that, “All applications for admissions to First Degree, National Diploma, National Innovation Diploma and the Nigeria Certificate in Education into Full Time, Distance Learning, Part Time, Outreach, Sandwich, etc, must be processed ONLY through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).”
“Institutions which are still involved in advertising or selling application forms for admissions into the programmes should stop henceforth.
“Institutions should advise candidates to apply to them through Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Duplication of application forms is NOT allowed.
“The duration of all Non-Full Time Studies must be maintained as approved by the Regulatory Agencies. This is generally not less than one hundred and fifty percent (150%) of the equivalence of Full Time.”
On advertorials, JAMB said, ”Institutions that desire to place advertisement can do so by advising candidates who applied for the current UTME to change to their institution as First (1st) Choice rather than requesting the candidates to purchase another application form or apply”
“This is to prevent the issue of double registration which is a violation of the JAMB mandate.”
EduCeleb.com earlier reported that the Admissions Policy Meeting fixed the minimum score for admissions into degree programmes at 160; national diploma at 120; Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and National Innovation Diploma (NID) programmes at 100.
JAMB said affiliated institutions were to adopt the same minimum UTME scores as their mother institutions.
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