The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has warned universities against issuing admission letters to candidates, insisting that only admissions processed through its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) are legally recognised.

The Board said universities had no statutory authority to issue official admission letters, warning that candidates who accept admission offers outside the approved system risk obtaining documents that may not be recognised for official purposes, including mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, gave the warning when he received a delegation from Veritas University, Bwari, Abuja, during a courtesy visit to his office.

Aina said the Federal Ministry of Education had expressly directed that all admissions into tertiary institutions be processed through CAPS, stressing that any admission conducted outside the platform was illegal and invalid.

He explained that JAMB remained the only body statutorily empowered to issue official admission letters to candidates seeking entry into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.

The registrar expressed concern that candidates often assume admission letters purportedly issued by universities are authentic simply because they carry the institutions’ identities.

He urged universities engaging in the practice to desist, while directing them to ensure that candidates obtain the appropriate admission documents from JAMB.

Aina further stressed that institutions could not substitute their own admission letters for the official documents issued by the Board after candidates had accepted their offers on CAPS.

He warned that admissions not processed through the approved platform would not be recognised for purposes such as NYSC mobilisation, underscoring the need for institutions and candidates to comply with established admission procedures.