FG Uncovers Over 258,000 Illegal Admissions in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, Discloses Grave Consequences for Institutions and Officials
The Federal Government has revealed that illegal admissions in Nigerian tertiary institutions are far larger than previously estimated, with universities accounting for more than 200,000 cases and colleges of education another 58,000. The Education Minister, Dr Tunji Alausa disclosed this on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, in Abuja while inaugurating a ministerial committee on strengthening accreditation and quality assurance for tertiary institutions. According to Alausa, the scale of the problem goes well beyond ordinary administrative lapses. Admissions carried out outside approved procedures, including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s Central Admissions Processing System (JAMB CAPS), have become widespread. He described the situation as a shame and made clear that the government will no longer repeatedly legitimise such practices through amnesty or condonement. For colleges of education, the ministry had initially expected only about 5,600 students to be affected when it...