JAMB Restores CAPS, Orders Institutions to Fast-Track Admissions …October 31 deadline for public universities remains sacrosanct By Beauty Akporido Aroh
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has restored its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which was temporarily unavailable for 96 hours, urging tertiary institutions to accelerate admission processes and recover the time lost.
JAMB, in a statement published in its JAMBulletin, said CAPS was fully restored on Sunday, September 27, 2026, and is now operational.
The Board apologised for the inconvenience caused by the disruption and assured candidates, institutions and other stakeholders that it remained committed to ensuring a smooth and reliable admission process.
JAMB urged institutions to immediately intensify their admission activities in order to meet the deadlines agreed at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions.
Under the agreed timetable, admissions into public universities must be concluded on or before October 31, 2026, while private universities have until November 30, 2026. Other tertiary institutions are expected to conclude admissions by December 31, 2026.
The Board said the October deadline for public universities remained sacrosanct, particularly following the recent release of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination results by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
It therefore called on public universities to make effective use of the remaining time to conclude their admission processes, while private universities were similarly advised to work towards meeting the November 30 deadline.
JAMB explained that the temporary unavailability of CAPS resulted from an administrative challenge involving its hosting organisation. It said it had worked with relevant service providers to restore the platform and ensure its stability.
With CAPS now operational, institutions are expected to expedite admission recommendations, while candidates who receive admission offers are advised to promptly accept them to avoid delays.
The Board also urged candidates who had been awaiting their NECO results to immediately upload or verify their results to ensure their credentials are available for consideration by institutions.
JAMB assured stakeholders that it would match the accelerated pace of institutions through the prompt consideration and approval of admission recommendations submitted through CAPS.
The Board disclosed that it was also implementing medium- and long-term measures to strengthen the resilience and reliability of CAPS, including redundancy and business-continuity arrangements aimed at reducing dependence on a single hosting or service environment.
JAMB said the measures were designed to minimise the risk and impact of future disruptions and improve the overall admission experience for candidates and institutions.
