By Erewunmi Peace

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially extended the deadline for admissions into public universities for the 2025/2026 academic session. The original deadline of Friday, 31 October 2025 has been moved to Monday, 17 November 2025.

According to a statement signed by Dr Fabian Benjamin, Public Communication Adviser of JAMB, the extension became necessary due to “emergent and compelling circumstances” affecting the admission process in several institutions.

Two major issues led to the decision:

1. An appeal by the Committee of Vice‑Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU), which cited a court order that temporarily halted the admission process until 28 October 2025.
2. The accreditation of 229 new academic programmes across 37 universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC) on 29 October 2025, requiring additional scheduling for admissions into those new programmes.

JAMB emphasised that this new deadline is final and binding, urging all public universities to ensure full compliance. The board reaffirmed its commitment to a transparent, credible admission process that serves national education goals while respecting institutional autonomy.

Applicants seeking admission into public universities should monitor their institution’s portal and ensure all required documentation and processes are completed by the new deadline.

Institutions that had not yet finalised admissions now have until 17 November to complete their processes.

Prospective students should take advantage of the extension but also stay alert: being among the last to apply may increase competition.

The original deadline of 31 October 2025 was set during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions held on 18 July 2025, chaired by the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa. The timeline was designed to allow other tiers of tertiary institutions—private universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and innovation enterprise institutions—to complete their admission exercises ahead of the national closing date of 31 December 2025.

Commentary/Analysis:
The extension reflects the growing complexity of tertiary admissions in Nigeria, especially as institutions expand programmes and face legal or administrative disruptions. While extensions provide needed flexibility, applicants are encouraged not to delay, as competition may become tighter and institutions may prioritise early completions.