JAMB: CAPS now fully restored, 31 October admission deadline remains sacrosanct
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
JAMB urges institutions to fast-track admissions as October deadline for public universities remains sacrosanct.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the full restoration of its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which was temporarily unavailable for 96 hours.
In a statement on Sunday, September 27, 2026, the Board said CAPS was now fully operational and urged tertiary institutions to accelerate their admission processes to make up for the time lost during the disruption.
JAMB apologised for the inconvenience caused by the temporary unavailability of the platform, stressing that it recognised the importance of CAPS to candidates, institutions and other stakeholders in the admission process.
The Board also urged institutions to comply with the admission deadlines agreed at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions.
It would be recalled that JAMB had earlier explained that the disruption was caused by an administrative challenge involving its hosting organisation. The Board said it had worked with relevant service providers to restore the platform and ensure its stability.
With CAPS now back in operation, JAMB called on institutions to intensify their admission activities, while candidates awaiting offers were advised to promptly accept admissions offered to them.
At the 2026 Policy Meeting, stakeholders agreed that admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session should be concluded according to the following deadlines:
Public universities: On or before October 31, 2026; Private universities: On or before November 30, 2026.
Other tertiary institutions: on or before December 31, 2026.
This means that all admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session are expected to be concluded by December 31, 2026.
JAMB particularly urged public universities to step up their admission processes following the release of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
The Board said institutions should make effective use of the remaining time to meet the October 31 deadline for public universities.
Private universities, it added, are expected to conclude their admissions by November 30, while other tertiary institutions should complete theirs by the end of December.
JAMB assured stakeholders that it would match the pace of institutions by promptly considering and approving admission recommendations submitted through CAPS.
Candidates who had been waiting for their NECO results were also advised to immediately upload or verify their results so that their credentials would be available for consideration as institutions intensify their admission exercises.
The Board further disclosed that it was taking additional measures to strengthen the resilience and reliability of CAPS.
According to JAMB, the measures include medium- and long-term redundancy and business-continuity arrangements aimed at reducing dependence on a single hosting or service environment and limiting the impact of possible future disruptions.
The Board said the recent incident had provided useful lessons that would be applied to strengthen CAPS and improve the overall admission experience for candidates and institutions.