The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has urged universities and other higher education institutions to strictly adhere to its admission guidelines, warning against admitting lower-ranked candidates while bypassing higher-ranked ones.

In a statement, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, stressed that any irregular admissions must be immediately reversed. The Board emphasized that all institutions must follow the established selection criteria, which are based on Merit, Catchment Area, and Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS).

“Each tier is guided strictly by merit, meaning candidates with higher rankings must be selected first, followed by others in descending order,” the statement read. “Any situation in which a higher-ranked candidate is skipped in favour of a lower-ranked one will not be tolerated by the Board.”

JAMB also addressed a recent allegation regarding a candidate who reportedly scored highly but was not admitted to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). After investigation, the Board found that the candidate had not been disadvantaged, as several higher-ranked candidates were ahead on the admission list. “Her non-admission was in accordance with due process and her ranking,” the statement clarified.

The Board reiterated that institutions must comply fully with admission regulations to ensure fairness and transparency in the selection process.