JAMB Fixes 2025 Admission Deadline for Universities

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has declared that public universities in Nigeria need to finalize their 2025 admission procedures by October 31, 2025, while private universities must conclude theirs by November 30, 2025, and all other tertiary institutions by December 31, 2025.

In a statement following the 2025 Policy Meeting led by the Honourable Minister of Education, JAMB confirmed:

“Public universities are to complete admissions by 31st October, 2025. Private universities must finish admissions by 30th November, 2025. All other institutions (public and private) should complete admissions by 31st December 2025,” the board indicated.

JAMB encouraged all institutions to prepare in advance of these deadlines, emphasizing that if an institution is not yet ready to begin the new academic session, it should still conduct its admissions and retain records of it.

“With this policy directive, all admissions must be completed within the set timelines,” they noted.

Rationale behind the new timetable

The board articulated that this decision was made to stabilize the academic calendar and ensure fair access to admission opportunities across all levels of tertiary education in the nation.

It instructed institutions administering post-UTME exams to finalize the process promptly to adhere to the 2025 admission deadlines.

“Thus, institutions conducting post-UTME screenings are requested to finish those activities promptly to align with the 2025 admission timeline,” they stated.

Key points to remember

JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, cautioned that institutions that do not submit their matriculation lists for the 2022 and 2023 admission periods will not receive approval for admissions in the 2024 and 2025 cycles.

This strict directive was issued in response to an ongoing issue where some institutions repeatedly failed to submit their matriculation lists to the Board, with some having not made any submissions in the last three academic years.

This action is part of JAMB’s continual efforts to combat admission fraud through the automation of the National Matriculation List (NML), which verifies students’ admissions to Nigerian tertiary institutions using the Board’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

Submitting the NML is also necessary for institutions to be eligible for the National Tertiary Admission Performance-Merit Award (NATAP-M Award).

To ensure adherence, the Registrar instructed that a notice be published in prominent newspapers indicating that admissions from non-compliant institutions will not be sanctioned. Admissions Desk Officers were directed to enforce the directive rigorously.