The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has uncovered 71 disowned diploma certificates linked to five Nigerian universities, raising fresh concerns over admission irregularities and credential verification within the country’s tertiary education system.
The revelation emerged during the 2026 National Policy Meeting on Admissions held in Abuja, where JAMB presented data on institutions with disowned diploma certificates recorded during the 2025 admission cycle.
According to figures displayed at the meeting, the affected institutions are Nasarawa State University with three disowned diploma certificates, Olabisi Onabanjo University with three, Prince Abubakar Audu University with 29, Taraba State University with one, and University of Jos with 35 disowned certificates.
The total number of disowned diploma certificates stood at 71.
JAMB explained that the disclosure forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen admission integrity, improve verification systems, and eliminate fraudulent academic credentials within Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
The Board noted that institutions are increasingly being required to validate certificates presented by candidates during admission processing, particularly for direct entry admissions where diploma qualifications are often used.
The development comes amid broader reforms by JAMB aimed at tightening compliance within the admissions process and addressing growing concerns over fake qualifications, illegal admissions, and manipulation of academic records.
Education stakeholders at the meeting described the disclosure as a strong signal that regulatory agencies are intensifying scrutiny of tertiary admissions and certification processes across the country.
The policy meeting also featured discussions on illegal admissions outside the Central Admissions Processing System, underage admissions, forged UTME result slips, and institutional accountability in Nigeria’s higher education system.
The Nigeria Education News monitored the proceedings of the 2026 JAMB National Policy Meeting in Abuja.
