The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, on Thursday, approved cut-off marks for universities and polytechnics in the country.
The decision was taken after a heated session comprising officials from JAMB, the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission, and the National Board for Technical Education among others.
For the polytechnics, 120 cut-off mark was approved while 140 was approved for universities.
The stakeholders announced 140 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics – 100 and colleges of education – 100 were made known at a Policy Meeting on Admissions presided by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, in Abuja.
JAMB’s registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, who announced the cut-off after thorough debates and votes by vice-chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics, and provosts of colleges of education, said the implication is that every institution has the right to fix its own cut-off mark even up to 220 but no one would be allowed to go less than the agreed minimum marks of 100 for colleges of education, 100 for polytechnics and 140 for universities.
The JAMB registrar revealed that only 378,639 of the 1,761,338 who wrote the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) scored 200 and above.
While giving further statistics of the 2022 examination, Oloyede noted that 378,639 scored above 200; a total of 520,596 candidates scored 190 and above; 704,991 scored 180 and above; 934,103 scored 170 and above; 1,192, 057 scored 160 and above.
Speaking further, Oloyede noted that the board allowed candidates with awaiting results to register for the 2022 UTME.
“JAMB allowed awaiting results candidates to register and sit for the 2022 UTME. These candidates can’t be considered for admission on awaiting result status. They must present their O’level results on the board’s portal before the commencement of admissions,” Oloyede said.
On his part, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu said, urged all institutions to adhere strictly to all admission regulatios prescribed by the 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 advised tertiary institutions to adopt a more flexible posture in the admissions process provided all actions are in compliance with the guidelines. One size fits all is injurious, hence, the statutory stipulations that in the exercise of its functions, JAMB should not obliterate the peculiarities and unique features of each of the Institutions.
According to him, “In 2017, we introduced the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) to eradicate the primeval activities around admission procedures towards nuzzling transparencies and accountabilities on admissions. It was on this note that it was mandated that all admissions to tertiary institutions in Nigeria must be carried out on the CAPS.
“This implies that all applications for regular and non-regular admissions to tertiary institutions must be routed through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in conformity with its enabling law. I am aware that JAMB issues specific Advisories to guide different aspects of the process. I therefore urge every Institution to comply with those advisories in the interest of the sector.
“By the last policy meeting, I had approved that all illegitimate admissions from 2017 to 2020 be condoned provided such candidates met the minimum entry qualifications in their various courses of study.
“I am aware that the process led the affected institutions to declare about one million illegitimate admissions for the periods.
“As soon as the process is completed, necessary measures would be put in place to track and sanction all culpable Heads of Institutions irrespective of whether they are or not still in office. I have directed a close watch on the 2021 and 2022 exercises with a view to identifying any violator for stricter punishment. I must reiterate my stance that no violator would go unpunished even after he or she must have completed the tenure of office.”
