JAMB vs FUTA graduate: How the controversy exposed Nigeria’s flawed admission process
JAMB’s rejection and later rectification of a FUTA graduate’s admission raises questions about transparency and coordination in Nigeria’s higher education system.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) recently made headlines after it declared the admission of Basola Jamiu Owodunni, a graduate of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), invalid. Owodunni, who had completed a five-year Civil Engineering degree with a CGPA of 4.41, was shocked when his admission was flagged during his NYSC mobilization process. JAMB claimed that there was no record of his admission on its Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), raising concerns about its legitimacy and threatening legal action.
This decision drew massive public outrage, especially after Owodunni shared his story, supported by evidence of a valid UTME score and admission letter from FUTA. The idea that a student could complete a full degree, only to be declared a “fake student” years later, sparked a broader conversation about how dysfunctional Nigeria’s tertiary admission verification processes have become.
JAMB’s Reversal: What Changed?
Following public backlash and a formal appeal from FUTA, JAMB reviewed the case and ultimately rectified Owodunni’s admission status. In a statement issued on July 4, 2025, JAMB confirmed that after a detailed investigation and a visit to the university, it found that the student had indeed been duly admitted in the 2017/2018 academic session. The agency attributed the initial discrepancy to the university’s failure to upload the candidate’s details to the CAPS platform.
JAMB stated that while the error originated from FUTA’s end, it would uphold the integrity of the student’s academic achievement and ensure his mobilisation for NYSC. This admission of system failure was a relief to the student but also laid bare the dangers of bureaucratic gaps in Nigeria’s education system.
Understanding the Root Causes: How Did This Happen?
The crux of the issue lies in the disjointed nature of Nigeria’s admission ecosystem. While JAMB serves as the central admission clearinghouse through CAPS, universities are still largely responsible for uploading and confirming candidate data. In this case, FUTA reportedly admitted the student but failed to complete the admission upload to CAPS, leading to a digital “invisibility” of the student within JAMB’s system.
This kind of gap is not unique. There have been other cases where universities admitted students without completing the necessary electronic validation, resulting in confusion years later. The absence of a real-time verification mechanism or internal alerts when discrepancies arise contributes significantly to this problem. It also exposes the system to possible abuse, if not outright fraud, by unscrupulous operators.
Implications for Students: Lives on Hold Due to Bureaucratic Failures
For students like Owodunni, such administrative lapses can have devastating consequences. Apart from the psychological trauma of being labelled a “fake graduate,” students risk missing out on NYSC service—a requirement for most job opportunities in Nigeria. Employers may question the authenticity of their degrees, and their professional reputation may suffer irreparable damage.
Moreover, such situations create an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, particularly for students in their final year. If a graduate can be disqualified after five years of academic commitment due to documentation issues outside their control, then the trust in the system is severely compromised.
Universities vs JAMB: A Communication Breakdown
This incident further reveals the poor communication and collaboration between tertiary institutions and JAMB. While JAMB relies on universities to upload and verify admissions, there appears to be no robust audit or feedback loop to ensure all admitted students are fully captured. FUTA, for example, maintained that it followed due process, but JAMB only became aware of the omission after the student reached out with evidence.
This reactive approach is dangerous. There should be proactive monitoring, timely cross-checking, and alerts when any student is not reflected on CAPS despite evidence of admission. Without such checks, innocent students will continue to be trapped in administrative grey zones.
What This Means for Nigeria’s Higher Education Sector
This saga reflects a broader institutional dysfunction that continues to plague Nigeria’s education system. It raises questions about how many other students may have unknowingly fallen through the cracks. The lack of a unified and transparent admission verification process not only threatens academic credibility but also hinders Nigeria’s digital transformation goals in the education sector.
For a country pushing digital reform, it is ironic that a platform like CAPS—meant to simplify and standardize admission—has become a source of confusion and conflict. This calls for a full audit of the CAPS process, better training for admissions officers at universities, and increased transparency for students to monitor their status in real time.
Recommendations: What Needs to Change Now
To prevent such unfortunate events in the future, a few critical reforms are needed. First, JAMB should establish a real-time CAPS verification portal for students, allowing them to confirm their status from the moment of admission. Secondly, universities must be held accountable for every candidate they admit—including legal responsibility if they fail to upload or validate the data.
Furthermore, a joint admission reconciliation team between JAMB and each university should be created to cross-check and update admission records before students proceed to final year. Finally, there must be penalties for institutions that fail to follow CAPS protocol, just as students face penalties for misconduct.
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A Wake-Up Call for Education Authorities
The JAMB–FUTA incident is a reminder that digital platforms are only as good as the people who manage them. While JAMB has now corrected the error and cleared the student for NYSC, the damage to public trust remains. Nigeria’s education regulators must now go beyond issuing apologies—they must rebuild a system that protects students from being victimised by institutional carelessness.
Owodunni’s case ended in relief, but not all students are so lucky. Unless urgent reforms are made, many more will suffer in silence, their dreams derailed by a broken system that was meant to support them.