The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cautioned candidates seeking admission not to fall for illegal programme-change requests made outside its official platform.

In a statement issued in Abuja, JAMB warned that some institutions have been manipulating the admission process by persuading candidates to change their programmes through school portals instead of the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

The Board described the practice as unethical and aimed at creating space for preferred candidates by altering the merit-based ranking system.

According to JAMB, all admission activities in Nigeria must be processed strictly through CAPS to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability. Any request for programme change done outside CAPS is unauthorized and may work against candidates.

The Board disclosed that preliminary findings showed a university in the South-West and another in Abuja were involved in such conduct, adding that regulatory actions have already been initiated.

JAMB advised all candidates to ignore unofficial requests or instructions from institutions to change programmes through backdoor channels.

The board emphasized its commitment to protecting candidates’ interests and ensuring merit-based admissions throughout the 2025 cycle and beyond.

Candidates were urged to remain vigilant and conduct all admission-related processes only on the JAMB CAPS portal.