ABUJA — The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into Nigerian universities for the 2026 academic session.
The board also fixed 100 as the minimum benchmark for admissions into polytechnics and monotechnics across the country.
The decision was reached on Monday during the 2026 JAMB Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, warned tertiary institutions against conducting admissions outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), stressing that violators would face sanctions.
According to him, admissions carried out outside the JAMB platform are illegal and would not be recognised by the Federal Government.
“The era in which institutions operated parallel admission systems must come to an end,” he said.
Alausa warned that institutions found bypassing CAPS risk severe penalties, including possible suspension of operating licences.
The minister also reaffirmed that 16 years remains the minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
He explained that the policy was aimed at maintaining academic standards and ensuring students are mature enough for higher education.
Alausa, however, disclosed a new policy for candidates seeking admission into the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programme.
According to him, candidates with a minimum of four credit passes would no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
He added that such candidates must still register with JAMB for screening and verification through CAPS before admission letters are issued.
The minister stressed that the integrity of the admission process must be protected to ensure fairness, transparency, and credibility in the nation’s tertiary education system.
