Daniel Otera
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced an extension of the admissions deadline for Nigerian federal universities, following requests from the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU). The new deadline for public universities to conclude their admissions process for the 2025/2026 academic year is now set for November 17, 2025, giving institutions an additional time frame to finalize their admissions.
Previously, federal universities were expected to wrap up their admissions by October 31, with private universities given until November 30. JAMB’s decision to adjust this timeline is primarily in response to the late introduction of 229 new academic programmes by the National Universities Commission (NUC) on October 29, 2025.
In an official statement, JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, explained that the introduction of these new programmes delayed the admission scheduling. “Admissions into those programmes are just being scheduled,” Benjamin confirmed.
The timeline adjustment follows consultations between JAMB and the heads of Nigerian universities. Initially, all institutions, including polytechnics and colleges of education, were to complete their admission process by December 31, 2025. However, universities were given a more pressing deadline due to their pivotal role in the admissions sequence.
In its statement, JAMB acknowledged the hard work of institutions in meeting the original deadlines but emphasized that this new timeline must be adhered to. The extension, JAMB noted, was also necessary due to a court ruling on October 28 that lifted a status quo order, which had further delayed the admissions process.
“While we appreciate the efforts of all involved in meeting the original deadlines, we must reiterate that this new deadline is final,” JAMB stated.
Despite these changes, the admissions processes for polytechnics, colleges of education, and other higher institutions will proceed as previously planned, with their deadline remaining December 31.