OPSAN: Call To Halt JAMB Admissions Over Pending O'Level Results

• The Owners of Private Schools Association of Nigeria (OPSAN) has urged the Federal Government to halt the 2026/2027 university admission process.
• This call is due to significant delays in the release of O’Level results from NECO, NABTEB, and some WAEC examinations.
• OPSAN argues that commencing admissions based solely on WAEC results unfairly disadvantages many students and weakens national examination bodies.
• The association appealed to Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa and the National Universities Commission for immediate intervention and directives.
• They also called on examination bodies to expedite result releases to ensure a level playing field for all prospective students.

The association emphasized that a fair and equitable process necessitates the release of all O’Level results before any admissions commence, ensuring every Nigerian student has an equal opportunity for the 2026/2027 academic session admissions.

The Owners of Private Schools Association of Nigeria (OPSAN) has formally requested that the Federal Government immediately suspend the ongoing admission process for the 2026/2027 academic session. This urgent appeal stems from significant delays in the release of various O’Level examination results, which OPSAN argues is creating an unfair landscape for prospective university students. The association's national president, Professor Uzochukwu Nwanonyuo, issued a statement on Tuesday following a crucial stakeholders' meeting, outlining the critical need for intervention.

OPSAN's primary concern is that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has initiated university admissions predominantly based on West African Examinations Council (WAEC) results. This approach, according to the association, overlooks a substantial number of students whose results from other key examination bodies, including the National Examination Council (NECO) and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), are still pending. The current situation, therefore, risks disenfranchising a significant portion of the student population seeking higher education in Nigeria.

The association highlighted that a considerable percentage of the 2025/2026 WAEC results remain unreleased across various public, mission, and private secondary schools. Compounding this issue, both NECO and NABTEB are yet to make their results public, even as many universities have already progressed, and in some instances concluded, their Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (Post-UTME) and subsequent admission procedures. This disparity effectively shuts out numerous candidates who depend on NECO and NABTEB qualifications for their university applications.

Professor Nwanonyuo specifically noted that while many students rely on both NECO and WAEC for admission, those from Technical Colleges, Federal Science and Technical Colleges, and Vocational and Commercial schools are particularly reliant on NECO and NABTEB for entry into higher institutions. The current admission timeline, therefore, prevents these students from competing fairly, with some federal universities reportedly having already finalized admissions for professional courses without considering candidates awaiting these results. This situation is deemed both improper and unjust by OPSAN, undermining the principle of equal opportunity in Nigeria university admission pending O'Level results.

In response to this perceived injustice, OPSAN has directly appealed to the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, urging his immediate intervention. The association specifically requested that the Minister direct JAMB to place all admission processes on hold until all outstanding O’Level results are released. Furthermore, OPSAN called upon the National Universities Commission (NUC) to issue a directive to all universities nationwide, instructing them to suspend Post-UTME admissions until the full complement of O’Level results becomes available.

Beyond these high-level appeals, OPSAN also addressed the examination bodies themselves. The association urged WAEC to publish a comprehensive list of all candidates who participated in the 2025/2026 internal examinations. Concurrently, NECO and NABTEB were pressed to expedite the release of their results, emphasizing the critical need to ensure that no student is left behind due to administrative delays. It is worth noting that NECO is reportedly set to release its 2026 SSCE internal results on Thursday. This comprehensive call for action underscores the potential for significant regulatory intervention in the university admission process.

OPSAN characterized the prevailing admission scenario as a "national disaster" and a "misnomer," pointing out that Nigeria's own national examination bodies are being marginalized in favor of a West African body. The association contended that prioritizing WAEC results while sidelining NECO and NABTEB weakens domestic educational institutions and conveys a misleading message about their relevance. They view JAMB's decision to grant admission without awaiting NECO and NABTEB results as a direct affront to these national bodies.

The association firmly believes that at this stage of national development, efforts should be directed towards strengthening NECO and NABTEB, rather than inadvertently establishing WAEC as the sole benchmark for UTME admissions. The association emphasized that a fair and equitable process necessitates the release of all O’Level results before any admissions commence, ensuring every Nigerian student has an equal opportunity for the 2026/2027 academic session admissions.

This development signals a potential for regulatory intervention from the Nigerian Minister of Education or the National Universities Commission (NUC) regarding university admission processes. Lawyers advising educational institutions (universities, secondary schools) or students should monitor for new directives that could alter admission timelines, create compliance obligations, or lead to disputes over student eligibility due to delayed examination results.

Source: Original reporting via Punch Nigeria