BY: Abdulraheem Muhammed
Claim:
Following the Federal Ministry of Education’s October 13, 2025, press release on new admission reforms, several social media accounts claimed that the Federal Government had abolished the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) as a requirement for tertiary education admission.
Verdict: False!
Full Text:
A viral claim surfaced online after the Ministry of Education announced policy reforms aimed at making tertiary education admission more inclusive. Some users interpreted the announcement to mean that JAMB had been scrapped.
Posts shared across X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and WhatsApp alleged that students no longer need to sit for JAMB before gaining admission into universities, polytechnics, or colleges of education.
This fact-check seeks to verify the veracity of the claim due to its potential to mislead admission seekers and the general public.
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica reviewed the October 13, 2025, press release by the Federal Ministry of Education and found no statement suggesting the abolition of JAMB.
The press release only announced adjustments to subject combinations and credit pass requirements to make the admission process fairer and more accessible to students. It did not mention scrapping JAMB or removing its statutory role in coordinating tertiary admissions.
Further checks revealed that the Federal Ministry of Education, in a follow-up press statement dated October 16, 2025, debunked the circulating rumor. The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, described the claim as “false, misleading, and unfounded.”
Dr. Alausa clarified:
“JAMB remains the sole statutory body legally empowered to conduct entrance examinations and coordinate admissions into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The Ministry has not issued any policy discontinuing JAMB’s role; the admission process through JAMB remains fully operational.”
FactCheckAfrica also confirmed from JAMB’s official website and verified X handle that there has been no announcement discontinuing UTME or altering the Board’s authority in tertiary admissions. The Ministry reiterated its commitment to maintaining a transparent, credible, and merit-driven admission process, urging Nigerians to verify information only through official government and JAMB channels.
Conclusion:
Our findings show that the claim that the Federal Government has scrapped JAMB is false. JAMB remains the statutory body responsible for conducting entrance examinations and coordinating admissions into Nigerian tertiary institutions. Nigerians are advised to disregard misleading reports and rely on verified updates from the Federal Ministry of Education and JAMB.
