By Erewunmi Peace

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially cleared Basola Jamiu Owodunni, a First-Class graduate of Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), after a highly publicized admission dispute.

Basola, who graduated in December 2024 with a CGPA of 4.41, had raised alarm in June after discovering that his name was marked as “admission not recognized” on the JAMB portal, barring him from National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilisation. The issue sparked widespread outrage across social media and attracted intervention from FUTA authorities, student bodies, and public figures.

In a dramatic turn, JAMB on Monday reactivated Basola’s admission status, updating his portal to reflect: “Congratulations, your name is on the Matriculation List.” The board also allowed him to print the necessary admission letters and proceed with NYSC registration.

“I’m deeply grateful to everyone who stood by me,” Basola told reporters. “What started as a nightmare has turned into a testimony. I can now move forward.”

According to Premium Times, Basola is just one of over 4,800 students whose admission issues are currently being resolved by JAMB. The board explained that some discrepancies stemmed from a cleanup of its database, which inadvertently affected students admitted through legitimate channels.

JAMB spokesperson Dr. Fabian Benjamin confirmed that several cases flagged as “fake admissions” were errors resulting from outdated or mismatched records.

“We are correcting the data and reinstating rightful candidates,” Benjamin said. “The integrity of our records remains our priority, but we won’t allow genuine students to suffer unjustly.”

This decision has been met with relief and celebration across student communities, particularly FUTA, where alumni and undergraduates had launched hashtags such as #JusticeForBasola and #FUTAPride to support the graduate.

The development underscores the importance of institutional accountability and digital record accuracy in Nigeria’s higher education system.

Basola is now eligible to join the NYSC 2025 Batch B stream.