By Rosemary Ogbonna
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has imposed stricter deadlines for concluding admissions.
The Board also approved 150 as the minimum UTME score for university and College of Nursing admissions and 100 for polytechnics for the 2026 academic session.
The decision was taken recently at JAMB’s annual policy meeting on admissions, where education stakeholders approved guidelines, timelines and requirements for tertiary institutions nationwide.
Giving the admission timelines during the policy meeting, JAMB said, public universities must finish by October 31, 2026, while polytechnics have until November. 30 and monotechnics and colleges of education are to complete the process by December 31.
It said candidates offered admission must accept within four weeks or risk losing the offer, the board said. Unaccepted offers may be withdrawn and reassigned.
Institutions were warned to stick to approved admission quotas and avoid enrolling students beyond their authorized capacity for each programme.
The portal for change of course and institution will only open after the mop-up examination, JAMB added. Schools were also directed to upload candidates’ O’Level results within the approved timelines to prevent delays.
Post-UTME and screening exercises can commence immediately following the policy meeting, the board said.
The guidelines are expected to shape the 2026 admission cycle, with tighter deadlines and stricter compliance measures for both institutions and candidates.