The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) has exposed 3,000 fake graduates who never entered a university classroom, underscoring the systemic corruption within Nigeria’s educational institutions.
In a report published in JAMB’s bulletin, the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed this alarming development during a meeting with the leadership of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities. The bulletin noted, “Some ‘graduates’ had never entered the four walls of a university owing to the endemic corruption in the system but the board had documented over 3,000 of such cases.”
Prof. Oloyede also highlighted the persistent issue of illegal admissions, which he described as a “source of embarrassment to the country.” This unethical practice, where candidates are admitted into tertiary institutions without following proper procedures, has long been a concern for JAMB.
The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education, addressing this problem in December 2023, mandated JAMB to provide a list of institutions involved in irregular and illegal admissions. This directive followed JAMB’s earlier warnings to candidates to avoid accepting admissions from institutions without full academic participation.
In the bulletin, titled “Cessation of illegal/irregular admission,” JAMB reiterated its stance: “All applications of admissions to first degree, national diploma, national innovation diploma and the Nigeria certificate in education into full-time, distance learning, part-time, outreach, sandwich, etc, must be processed only through JAMB.”
The Board continues its efforts to cleanse the educational system, ensuring that admissions are conducted transparently and legitimately, thereby safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s academic credentials.