Students seeking admission into public universities in Nigeria have received some relief as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved a new deadline of Monday, November 17, 2025, for the conclusion of the current admission cycle. This decision replaces the earlier closing date of October 31, which was agreed upon during the 2025 Policy Meeting held in July.
In a statement released on Sunday, JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said the Board had no choice but to adjust the timeline due to legal and administrative setbacks encountered by several universities. He noted that a court order had temporarily obstructed schools from finalizing the 2025/2026 admission list, causing delays until the ruling was lifted on October 28. The delay was further worsened by the National Universities Commission’s recent approval of 229 new academic programmes across 37 universities, which now require inclusion in this year’s admission process.
JAMB explained that the extension aligns with the government’s plan to increase university access under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. While acknowledging the impressive effort by public universities to meet the original deadline, the Board emphasized that this new date is final and must be strictly followed. It added that the previously approved timelines for private universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and innovation enterprises institutions remain unchanged, with their admission activities expected to end by December 31, 2025.
The examination body reassured prospective students that it is committed to maintaining a transparent, credible and fair admission system through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). It said the additional time will ensure that every qualified applicant, including those applying to newly accredited programmes, is given equal consideration and that the academic calendar remains coordinated nationwide.
This extension follows a similar adjustment on September 18 when JAMB granted universities extra time to upload Post-UTME results of underage candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. That change, communicated through email reminders to defaulting institutions, was necessary to prevent disruptions to the nationwide admission schedule.
For thousands of candidates still waiting for their admission status, the new deadline provides some reassurance and a clearer timeline. With the final extension now set, JAMB has urged institutions to speed up their processes to avoid further delays and ensure the new academic session can begin as planned across the country.