JAMB Mandates Public Universities to Finalize Admissions by October 31

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has given a strict directive to all Nigerian public universities to finalize their 2025 admission processes by October 31, 2025. The order is part of a new, consolidated schedule approved by stakeholders during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, which was led by the Minister of Education.

In a weekly bulletin released on Monday, the examination body outlined a clear timeline for all tertiary institutions to ensure a stable and predictable academic calendar. While public universities have been given an October deadline, private universities are required to conclude their admissions by November 30, 2025. All other institutions, including polytechnics, colleges of education, and innovation enterprise institutions, have until the end of the year, December 31, 2025, to complete their admission activities.

The board stressed the importance of adhering to these new timelines, cautioning that all admission processes must be concluded within the prescribed period. JAMB also advised institutions currently conducting post-UTME screenings to conclude these exercises in good time to comply with the new admission schedule.

The directive comes after a record number of candidates registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with over 2 million registrants. The new policy is aimed at streamlining the process and ensuring fairness, particularly for the thousands of candidates who are often left stranded after the admission exercise.