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By Akeem Atoyebi
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reinstated that having a high score in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is not an automatic guarantee of admission into Nigerian universities.
JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, who made this known in a statement issued on Sunday, February 9, 2025, noted that admission decisions are hinged on several factors, including candidates’ O’level results, UTME scores, and post-UTME performance.
“A high UTME score alone does not secure admission. Universities consider various criteria, including ranking based on merit, catchment areas, and quotas for Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS),” the statement read.
JAMB’s response follows growing concerns from candidates and parents who allege that universities are denying admission to students despite their high UTME scores.
He gave an example of a recent case, the board tackled the complaint of a parent, Godwin Nsan, who accused the University of Calabar of unfairly rejecting his son.
According to him investigations by JAMB showed that the candidate, despite scoring 201 in UTME, had an aggregate score of 34 per cent, which was below the university’s minimum cut-off marks of 55 per cent for merit-based admission and 35 per cent for other categories.
Similarly, another candidate who scored 345 in UTME accused the University of Jos (UniJos) of denying him admission.
However, after a review at JAMB’s headquarters, it was revealed that the candidate ranked 86th, while the university could only admit 68 candidates on merit. The candidate’s father, after receiving the explanation, acknowledged the process and apologised.
“In some universities, a UTME score of 345 may still rank a candidate as low as 300, depending on the institution’s capacity and competition,” JAMB noted.
JAMB urged parents and candidates to understand the holistic admission process rather than assuming that a high UTME score guarantees a spot in their preferred institutions.
“Admission is competitive, and institutions must adhere to a structured ranking process. We advise parents to seek clarification through the appropriate channels instead of making unfounded allegations,” JAMB stated.
