The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has withdrawn the special registration concession previously granted to candidates with albinism as registration for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination commenced on Monday, citing widespread abuse of the privilege for examination malpractice.

The decision was announced at a weekend meeting in Ikeja, Lagos, where JAMB management, led by its Registrar, Professor Isaq Oloyede, met with commissioners for education from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to review past examinations and outline measures for the new exercise.

Oloyede disclosed that the concession was scrapped after investigations revealed that some candidates exploited the provision by using artificial intelligence and other means to falsely claim albinism during registration. He noted that more than 7,000 candidates identified themselves as albinos in the previous year alone, a figure the Board found implausible.

The JAMB Registrar also cautioned faith-based tertiary institutions against concealing their religious identity during the admission process. He said institutions that present themselves as secular to attract applicants, only to impose religious doctrines after admission, were acting deceptively. According to him, the law permits the establishment of faith-based schools, but such institutions must clearly declare their status from the outset to enable candidates make informed choices.

Addressing concerns over undergraduates who sit for UTME while already enrolled in higher institutions, Oloyede warned that candidates who fail to disclose their status risk losing both their new admission prospects and their current placements. He revealed that last year’s highest UTME scorer was discovered to be a 300-level university student, a development that prompted deeper scrutiny. While some undergraduates rewrite the examination to change courses, he said others do so to fraudulently secure admission for third parties.

On admission policy, Oloyede restated that federal institutions allocate 45 per cent of slots on merit, 20 per cent to catchment areas, 20 per cent to educationally disadvantaged states, with the remainder distributed at institutional discretion. He encouraged state-owned universities to reserve at least 10 per cent of admissions strictly on merit to promote diversity and academic excellence.

The meeting also revisited the contentious issue of underage admissions. Oloyede said 16 remains the official minimum admission age, adding that candidates below this threshold must score at least 80 per cent in both UTME and post-UTME screenings to qualify. He revealed that out of about 42,000 candidates who claimed to be underage last year, only 78 met the criteria and gained admission. While participants were divided on how to engage such candidates during a mandatory gap year, a majority voted for JAMB to continue its special assessment process.

As part of strengthened anti-malpractice measures, the Board has banned the movement of computers between CBT centres, insisting that systems registered to a centre must remain there permanently. Oloyede said the practice of borrowing computers to gain accreditation had undermined the integrity of the process.

He further clarified that candidates would only be posted to examination towns selected during registration, noting that all personal details are drawn directly from the National Identification Number database without alteration.

Providing an update on the previous UTME, Oloyede disclosed that 974,855 candidates had so far secured admission out of approximately 1.95 million who sat for the examination. He added that over N2.4 billion had been disbursed to institutions over the past decade as incentives for compliance with JAMB regulations, while schools that produce top-performing candidates would now be compensated.

On the accreditation of CBT centres, he said the process is handled by multidisciplinary teams including vice-chancellors, rectors and provosts, and warned state governments against entering agreements with private operators seeking to use CBT facilities to facilitate examination malpractice.

The Federal Government has announced plans to abolish the long-standing dichotomy between Higher National Diploma holders and university degree graduates by empowering polytechnics to award degrees, marking a major policy shift in Nigeria’s higher education system.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the disclosure in Abuja while addressing a high-level retreat attended by council chairmen, commissioners of education, rectors, registrars and bursars. He described the decision as a landmark reform aimed at ending decades of discrimination against polytechnic graduates and repositioning technical and vocational education as a key driver of national development.

According to the minister, the move will elevate polytechnics into centres of excellence while preserving their core mandate of hands-on, industry-oriented training. He noted that Nigeria’s future competitiveness depends on a workforce capable of creating, building and solving real-world problems, adding that the reform aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises job creation, industrial expansion and human capital development.

Dr. Alausa said granting degree-awarding status to polytechnics would enhance their appeal to industry partners, improve access to funding and boost public confidence in the institutions. He assured stakeholders that the transition would be guided by clearly defined standards, strict regulation and robust quality assurance mechanisms to ensure global competitiveness.

Speaking on the theme of transforming polytechnic education through innovation, governance and sustainability, the minister stressed that polytechnics are central to building a skills-driven economy. He disclosed that the ministry has placed renewed emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training to ensure graduates are industry-ready, innovative and capable of driving economic growth.

He urged polytechnic leaders to deepen innovation through entrepreneurship centres, research hubs and strong industry linkages, identifying renewable energy, agri-technology, digital manufacturing and climate-resilient solutions as priority sectors. On governance, he emphasised the need for transparency, accountability and ethical leadership, calling for fiscal discipline, timely audits, prudent resource management and zero tolerance for corruption.

The minister also highlighted sustainability as a critical pillar of the reforms, encouraging institutions to boost internally generated revenue through production and service delivery, adopt eco-friendly campuses and develop resilient infrastructure. Polytechnics, he said, should strive to produce what they consume and contribute to national self-reliance by reducing dependence on imports.

While acknowledging challenges such as funding constraints, outdated facilities and societal bias in favour of university education, Dr. Alausa maintained that the opportunities presented by the reform far outweigh the obstacles. He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting polytechnics through policy reforms, infrastructure upgrades and strategic partnerships.

He further announced a special TETFund intervention scheduled for this year to equip polytechnic engineering schools with modern facilities, following a similar intervention for medical colleges in the previous year. Charging participants at the retreat to return to their institutions as drivers of change, the minister said the future of Nigeria’s youth, economy and national development hinges on the successful transformation of the polytechnic sector.

Education experts at the retreat described the announcement as a turning point for the sector, noting that it is expected to boost enrolment, improve staff and student motivation, and strengthen the contribution of polytechnics to critical areas such as manufacturing, technology, agriculture and renewable energy.

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have signed a far-reaching agreement aimed at ending prolonged strikes in federal universities, improving lecturers’ welfare, and restoring stability to Nigeria’s tertiary education system.

Unveiling the pact in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the agreement as a historic breakthrough that marks a decisive shift from decades of industrial unrest and disrupted academic calendars. He said the deal was designed to rebuild trust, dignity, and confidence in public universities.

Alausa credited President Bola Tinubu with providing strong leadership and political will to resolve a crisis that had lingered for years. According to him, the administration deliberately chose sustained dialogue and reform over confrontation, making it the first time a sitting president personally drove the resolution of the long-standing ASUU dispute.

Central to the agreement is a 40 per cent upward review of academic staff salaries, approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), with effect from January 1, 2026. Under the revised structure, lecturers’ pay will consist of the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary (CONUASS) and an enhanced Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) to support research, publications, conferences, internet access, professional memberships, and book development.

The agreement also streamlines nine earned academic allowances, clearly defining them and linking payment directly to responsibilities such as postgraduate supervision, fieldwork, clinical duties, examinations, and leadership roles. In addition, the Federal Government approved a new professorial cadre allowance for full-time professors and readers, recognising their extensive academic, administrative, and research obligations.

Under this provision, professors will earn N1.74 million annually (N140,000 monthly), while readers will receive N840,000 annually (N70,000 monthly). Alausa said the allowance is intended to strengthen research coordination, academic documentation, and institutional efficiency, enabling senior academics to focus on mentorship, teaching, and innovation. He assured Nigerians of the government’s commitment to full implementation of the agreement under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Sector stakeholders, including the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), and the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), welcomed the agreement, though some expressed reservations and called for broader inclusion.

ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, described the pact as a significant step toward rescuing Nigeria’s troubled university system but lamented that it came after years of avoidable delays. He traced the agreement to prolonged negotiations dating back to failed renegotiation efforts in 2017, 2021, and 2022, before meaningful progress was achieved under the Yayale Ahmed-led committee inaugurated in October 2024.

According to Piwuna, the agreement addresses conditions of service, funding, university autonomy, academic freedom, and systemic reforms required to reverse decay, curb brain drain, and reposition universities for national development. He commended President Tinubu, Dr. Alausa, and Alhaji Yayale Ahmed for what he described as uncommon commitment and integrity during the negotiations.

Despite welcoming the deal, Piwuna warned that university autonomy and governance remain under threat, accusing governments of interfering in the appointment of vice-chancellors and dissolving governing councils arbitrarily. He also raised concerns over the misuse of funds in some universities, alleging widespread consultancy abuses and financial mismanagement.

The ASUU president welcomed provisions on research funding, noting that the agreement includes plans to forward a National Research Council Bill to the National Assembly, proposing at least one per cent of GDP for research and development.

CONUA’s National President, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, acknowledged the progress made but stressed that ASUU is not the only academic staff union in the university system. He urged the Federal Government to conclude negotiations with other unions to ensure lasting peace across campuses.

Reacting, NANS Public Relations Officer, Adeyemi Ajasa, said the agreement would promote academic stability and reduce the years students lose to strikes, but urged immediate and transparent implementation to avoid a repeat of past failures. Similarly, NAPTAN President, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, described the pact as a major achievement and appealed for prompt execution of its provisions.

Stakeholders believe the agreement, if faithfully implemented, will usher in a new era of stability, predictability, and improved quality in Nigeria’s university system.