By Aaron Ossai
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education, Hon. Oboku Oforji, has appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to extend the deadline for admissions into public and private universities for the 2026/2027 academic session.
Oforji made the appeal on Wednesday while addressing journalists at the National Assembly in Abuja, expressing concern that the current admission timetable could deny many qualified candidates the opportunity to secure university placements.
The lawmaker said an extension would give prospective students and tertiary institutions more time to complete outstanding admission procedures, urging JAMB to consider the educational aspirations of Nigerian youths.
He noted that many candidates had demonstrated a strong commitment to pursuing higher education and should not be disadvantaged by tight deadlines or circumstances beyond their control.
“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.
“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 said.
Oforji stressed that providing candidates with adequate time to complete the admission process would promote equitable access to tertiary education and prevent qualified applicants from losing opportunities because of administrative constraints.
He also called for stronger collaboration between JAMB, universities and other relevant stakeholders to address bottlenecks in the admission process and ensure that eligible candidates are given fair consideration.
The appeal follows JAMB’s announcement of deadlines for completing admissions into tertiary institutions for the 2026/2027 academic session.
In a statement issued on Monday, the examination body directed public universities to conclude their admission processes on or before October 31, 2026, while private universities have until November 30, 2026.
Other tertiary institutions are expected to complete their admissions by December 31, 2026.
The October 31 deadline for public universities has raised concerns over the limited time available to institutions and candidates still awaiting admission decisions.
JAMB also highlighted the importance of its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), the platform through which institutions process admissions and candidates monitor and accept offers.
According to the Board, the restoration of CAPS should enable institutions to intensify their admission activities, while candidates are expected to accept offers promptly to meet the stipulated timelines.
The statement read in part: “Consequently, all admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session are expected to be concluded by 31 December 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.
“Beyond the immediate restoration of the platform, the Board is also putting in place measures to further strengthen the resilience, stability and reliability of CAPS.”
Oforji’s intervention underscores the need to strike a balance between enforcing admission schedules and ensuring that qualified candidates have sufficient time to secure placement in their preferred institutions.
He maintained that extending the deadlines would provide universities with greater flexibility to process outstanding applications and give prospective students a better chance of pursuing their academic ambitions.
