The Owners of Private Schools Association of Nigeria (OPSAN) has called on the Federal Government to suspend the ongoing 2026/2027 tertiary admission exercise until outstanding O’Level examination results from recognised examination bodies are released.
The association said the continued admission process could disadvantage candidates whose eligibility for tertiary education depends on results from the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), particularly as some universities have already commenced or concluded parts of their Post-UTME and admission processes.
OPSAN National President, Professor Uzochukwu Solomon Nwanonyuo, made the call in a statement following a stakeholders’ meeting. The association’s position was also reported by several Nigerian news organisations.
According to OPSAN, proceeding with admissions while candidates are still awaiting some O’Level results could create difficulties for students who need to present those results as part of their admission requirements.
The association specifically identified candidates awaiting NECO and NABTEB results as being potentially affected. It also pointed to students from technical colleges, Federal Science and Technical Colleges, vocational institutions and commercial schools, who may rely on NECO or NABTEB qualifications when applying for tertiary education.
OPSAN further said that some universities had already progressed with Post-UTME screening and admission exercises, including for some professional programmes, while affected candidates were still unable to present their outstanding results. The association did not provide a comprehensive nationwide list of the institutions or the number of candidates it said were affected.
The association appealed to the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, to intervene and direct the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to temporarily suspend the admission exercise until the outstanding results are available.
OPSAN also called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to direct universities to suspend their Post-UTME and related admission processes pending the release of the results.
The association argued that candidates should have sufficient opportunity to present results from all recognised examination bodies before institutions conclude the admission process.
The issue comes as the 2026/2027 admission process is already active. JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) currently shows 2026/2027 admission activity across participating institutions, including candidates being processed for admission.
The controversy therefore centres on the timing of examination-result releases in relation to university admission deadlines.
OPSAN has urged the examination bodies to address the issue quickly. It called on the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to provide a comprehensive list of candidates who sat the affected 2025/2026 examination and urged NECO and NABTEB to expedite the processing and release of their outstanding results.
For prospective undergraduates, the timing of O’Level results can be significant because admission applications and institutional screening exercises operate within specified periods.
OPSAN maintains that students should not lose admission opportunities because the examination body whose results they depend on has not released those results within the period universities are processing applications.
The association’s demand has consequently placed renewed attention on the coordination between examination bodies, JAMB and tertiary institutions, particularly during the transition from secondary education to higher education.
While OPSAN is calling for a temporary halt, the association’s position remains a proposal for consideration by the Federal Government, JAMB, NUC and the affected institutions.
The development has also renewed discussion about the need for timely examination-result processing and better coordination of admission timelines so that prospective students can compete for available tertiary education opportunities with the required academic credentials in hand.
