The House of Representatives has urged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to extend the deadline for university admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session, citing concerns that the current schedule could leave qualified candidates without placements.
The appeal was made on Wednesday by the Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education, Oboku Oforji, while speaking to journalists at the National Assembly in Abuja.
Oforji said extending the deadline would give universities additional time to process pending applications and issue admission offers, while allowing candidates who were yet to secure places to pursue their academic goals.
“It is important that JAMB extend the deadline for the admission of our children across the country. I think it is very important that I appeal to the leadership of JAMB. We have also formally reached out to them to appeal to them, and I believe we are together in this journey for the betterment of education in our country,” the lawmaker said.
He praised the enthusiasm of young Nigerians for higher education, stressing that their determination to pursue academic qualifications should be supported by an admission process that gives deserving applicants adequate time to secure placement.
“I am particularly happy with the commitment of the children and their level of willingness to go to school. In recognition of this commitment, I think it is important for JAMB to immediately extend the deadline for the admission of our children across the country,” he added.
The lawmaker also called for stronger collaboration between JAMB, university administrators and other stakeholders to resolve delays and ensure that eligible candidates were not disadvantaged by the admission timetable.
Under the schedule announced by the board, public universities are required to complete their admission exercises by October 31, while private universities have until November 30. Other tertiary institutions are expected to conclude admissions by December 31, 2026.
The approaching deadline for public universities has sparked concerns over whether institutions have sufficient time to complete pending admission procedures and accommodate candidates who are yet to receive offers.
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The admission process was further affected by the temporary downtime of JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which universities use to manage admissions and candidates rely on to track and accept offers.
After restoring the platform, JAMB instructed institutions to accelerate their admission processes and urged prospective students to accept offers without delay to ensure compliance with the approved schedule.
In a statement, the board maintained that all admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session must be completed by December 31, 2026.
“With CAPS now fully operational, institutions are expected to intensify their admission processes, while candidates are equally advised to promptly accept admission offers made to them. This is necessary to ensure that the agreed admission timelines are met,” the board said.
JAMB also said it was implementing measures to improve the platform’s stability, reliability and ability to withstand disruptions.
Oforji disclosed that he had formally submitted the request for an extension to the board, expressing optimism that it would consider the appeal to protect students’ interests and support the education sector.