JAMB Moves to Regularise Illegal Admissions: What Students in Colleges of Education Need to Know

What Has JAMB Just Announced?

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has written to provosts of Colleges of Education across Nigeria, asking each institution to submit a complete list of candidates who were illegally admitted and whose cases fall within an approved category for possible condonement.

The directive follows approval granted by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, concerning candidates illegally admitted into Colleges of Education during the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions. JAMB said the information is needed so the Board can process and consider the cases in line with that approval.

A letter communicating the directive was signed by JAMB's Director of Admissions, Mohammed Babaji, on behalf of the Registrar. The wording is important: institutions are being asked to disclose candidates for possible condonement, not told that every admission has already been accepted.

Which Students Are Covered?

The current approval concerns candidates illegally admitted into Colleges of Education during the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions. This does not mean that every student admitted during those sessions is affected, or that every irregular admission automatically qualifies.

Eligibility depends on the conditions of the approved exercise and the information submitted by the institution. A student who believes their admission was processed outside the approved JAMB route should therefore ask the College of Education to explain whether the case falls within the current submission.

What Does ‘Condonement’ Mean?

In this context, condonement is a process through which an irregular admission may be considered for recognition under an approved JAMB process. It is sometimes discussed alongside regularisation because both expressions relate to bringing an admission record into an officially recognised framework.

Condonement is not a promise of approval. JAMB must process and consider the records, and the outcome can depend on the approved conditions, the candidate's details and the accuracy and completeness of the institution's submission. Students should distinguish carefully between being listed for consideration and receiving final recognition.

What Colleges of Education Have Been Asked to Do

The directive is primarily addressed to institutions. Colleges are expected to identify the candidates covered by the approved category and disclose their records to JAMB.

JAMB instructed institutions to submit the records in Excel format using the template supplied by the Board. Each College must verify the information, ensure the submission is accurate and complete, and obtain the Provost's endorsement. The Board warned that false declarations or omissions would not be condoned.

This institutional responsibility is why students should not assume that an individual online application, social-media announcement or payment to a third party can replace the College's official submission.

• Compile a complete list of candidates within the approved category.
• Use JAMB's supplied Excel template.
• Check names, admission details and other required records carefully.
• Submit accurate and complete information.
• Obtain the Provost's endorsement before submission.
• Avoid false declarations and omissions.

What Should an Affected Student Do Now?

Students who believe they were admitted outside the approved process should begin with their institution. The current directive asks Colleges of Education to disclose and submit the affected candidates, so the admissions office and the Registrar or Provost's office are the right places to ask about institutional action.

Keep the conversation factual. Ask whether the admission was processed through the approved JAMB admission process, whether the student's name is included in the College's submission for possible condonement, and whether any JAMB registration or admission details need to be confirmed.

• Contact the admissions office of your College of Education.
• Ask whether your admission was processed through the approved JAMB process.
• Ask whether your name and record have been included in the institutional submission.
• Confirm your JAMB registration or admission details where applicable.
• Keep admission letters, payment receipts and other relevant documents.
• Follow only official instructions from JAMB and the institution.
• Do not pay an agent who claims to guarantee condonement.

Does This Mean the Student's Admission Is Now Valid?

No automatic approval should be assumed. There are at least three different stages: the institution submits a candidate's record; JAMB processes and considers the case under the approved exercise; and the admission receives final recognition or approval if the relevant conditions are satisfied.

The present announcement confirms the first stage is being requested from Colleges of Education. It does not state that all submitted candidates will be approved, nor does it give students a blanket confirmation that their admission is already valid in JAMB's records.

Why Does JAMB Regulate Admissions?

JAMB's mandate includes coordinating admissions into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, Colleges of Education and other relevant tertiary institutions. The Board's Central Admissions Processing System, commonly called CAPS, provides a central platform for processing admissions and maintaining candidate admission records.

A central process helps connect institutional vacancies, admission guidelines and candidate records. When a college admits outside the approved process, a student's institutional record may not match the admission information held or recognised through JAMB. That mismatch can create difficulties when a student later needs an official admission record or another process that depends on confirmed status.

The regulation of admissions is therefore not merely an administrative formality. It is intended to support transparent placement, proper record-keeping and compliance with approved institutional processes.

What Happens If a College Does Not Submit an Affected Student?

The supplied announcement does not specify a separate punishment or guaranteed outcome for an individual student whose name is not submitted. Students should not guess what will happen or rely on unofficial claims.

Instead, contact the College urgently and ask whether the case falls within the current exercise, whether the institution has prepared its list and whether the student's record is included. If the institution gives a different instruction, keep it in writing where possible and verify important information through JAMB's official channels.

Can Students Apply Directly for Condonement?

Students should not assume they can independently submit themselves under this particular exercise. The current JAMB directive specifically asks Colleges of Education to disclose and submit affected candidates using the Board's template.

If JAMB later publishes a candidate-specific application procedure, students should follow that procedure only through the Board's official website, service channels or a verified institutional announcement. Until then, the appropriate first step is to confirm the student's position with the College.

How Much Does JAMB Condonement Cost?

Do not assume a fee for this exact 2026 exercise. JAMB lists ‘Condonement of Illegal Admission’ among its services, but students should confirm the current applicable fee, if any, and the official procedure directly through JAMB before making a payment.

No student should pay an agent or unofficial website because of a promise that payment will guarantee approval. A fee, where officially applicable, would not remove the need for the case to meet the approved conditions or for the record to be processed through the proper channel.

Important Warning to Students

Do not pay an agent who promises guaranteed regularisation. Wait for official instructions from your institution and JAMB.

What Students Should Know About JAMB's Latest Admission Policies

JAMB remains responsible for coordinating tertiary admissions in Nigeria, and CAPS remains the Board's central admissions platform. For this development, the key point is that institutions must work with JAMB to disclose the relevant records.

Students should keep this issue separate from unrelated admission policies, cut-off marks or examination announcements. Check the official JAMB website for current guidance and ask the institution to explain any instruction connected specifically with the condonement exercise.

What This Means for Students in 2024/2025 and 2025/2026

For students admitted to a College of Education in either session who believe their admission was outside the approved process, this development creates a possible pathway for the case to be considered. It does not create automatic recognition.

Affected students should contact their institution, confirm whether their record has been submitted and preserve their documents. They should not assume that studying at the College alone guarantees condonement, that every submitted name will be accepted, or that an agent can change the outcome.

Quick Answers

Who is affected? Candidates illegally admitted into Colleges of Education during the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic sessions who fall within the approved condonement exercise.

Has JAMB already regularised everyone? No. Colleges are being asked to submit affected candidates for possible condonement.

What should affected students do? Contact their institution and confirm whether their names and admission records have been submitted under the exercise.

Should students pay agents? No. Students should rely on official JAMB and institutional instructions.

Final Takeaway

JAMB's latest directive gives Colleges of Education a route to disclose candidates admitted outside the approved process for possible condonement. It may help affected students have their cases considered, but the current announcement is an institutional disclosure and processing exercise—not automatic confirmation that every irregular admission will be accepted.

Students in the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 groups should contact their College, keep their records safe and wait for verified instructions. Follow JAMB and institutional channels, avoid agents and do not treat a submitted name as the same thing as final approval.

Stay informed with SmartBrain.com.ng for the latest Nigerian education news, JAMB updates, examination information, study resources and opportunities for students.

Sources

This article was checked against JAMB's official website and the supplied August 25, 2026 reports. The reporting is original and does not reproduce the wording of the news reports. Because admission procedures can be updated, readers should verify the latest instruction before acting.