JAMB Extends Public University Admissions Deadline To November 17

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced an extension of the 2025 admissions deadline for all public universities in Nigeria.

The new closing date is now Monday, November 17, 2025, moving it from the earlier date of October 31.

JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said the extension was necessary due to unforeseen challenges that delayed the completion of the admission process in several universities.

The board recalled that the July 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, chaired by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, had approved October 31 as the deadline for public universities to finalise admissions. The schedule was designed to allow private universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions enough time to complete their own processes before the national closing date of December 31, 2025.

According to JAMB, two major developments made the extension unavoidable. The first was an appeal by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities after a court injunction temporarily halted the 2025/2026 admission exercise. The order was only lifted on October 28, creating a delay in processing admissions. The second was the accreditation of 229 new academic programmes across 37 universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC) on October 29, which required new scheduling to accommodate the fresh courses.

JAMB said the decision was taken to ensure fairness and inclusivity for all institutions affected by the delays. The board urged universities to use the additional time to conclude their admissions and warned that the new date would be the final deadline.

Dr Benjamin commended institutions that had already met the earlier target, describing their effort as commendable. He reaffirmed JAMB’s commitment to a transparent and credible admission process that upholds national education standards while respecting institutional autonomy.