JAMB gives candidates final chance to save old admissions — how to check and accept pending offers

• JAMB has given candidates with pending admission offers from 2021 to 2026 until September 30, 2026, to accept or reject them.

• Candidates who fail to act before the deadline will have their offers cancelled and their status changed to “Not Admitted”.

• Those who accept their offers can proceed to print their admission letters, while those who reject them will have their records updated.

• JAMB advised candidates to check their CAPS dashboard immediately instead of assuming their admission status has not changed.

Thousands of Nigerian students who have been leaving old JAMB admission offers untouched may soon lose them, as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a final deadline for candidates to either accept or reject pending offers.

The board extended the deadline for candidates offered admission between 2021 and 2026 to take action on their Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) dashboard.

The new deadline is Wednesday, September 30, 2026, after the earlier date of August 31, 2026, passed.

JAMB said the extension is the “final opportunity” for affected candidates to decide what they want to do with their outstanding admission offers.

In a statement shared on X, the board’s Acting Director, Public Affairs and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, warned candidates not to wait until the last day.

“Candidates with pending admission offers who have not yet accepted or rejected (regular or CUIIA) such offers are strongly advised to do so before 30 September 2026,” Benjamin said.

The board explained that candidates who accept their offers will be able to proceed with printing their admission letters, while those who reject the offers will have their dashboards changed back to “Not Admitted”.

“Those who reject their offers will have their dashboards reverted to ‘Not Admitted’, enabling the Board to update its records and ensure that its admission data accurately reflects the current status of candidates,” JAMB stated.

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JAMB also addressed candidates who have already moved to another school or programme but still have an old admission offer sitting on their profiles.

According to the board, such candidates can accept the outstanding admission first and then apply for correction or deletion of the admission where necessary.

“For candidates who are no longer in the institution where the previous admission was offered, or who are currently in a different programme from the one for which the previous admission was offered, such candidates may accept the outstanding admission and subsequently apply for the appropriate correction or deletion of the admission, as the case may be,” JAMB said.

The board said the move would help update candidates’ records and ensure Nigeria’s admission data remains accurate.

JAMB also clarified that candidates currently studying for a second degree but still holding an old unaccepted admission offer can reject the previous offer without affecting their current programme.

“Similarly, candidates who are currently pursuing a second degree but still have a previous admission offer that remains unaccepted may go ahead and reject such an offer and continue with their current programme,” it said.

For candidates who recently secured admission in the 2026 admission exercise, JAMB said rejecting an older offer would not affect their new admission.

“Such candidates may reject the previous admission offer, and doing so will have no adverse effect whatsoever on their 2026 admission,” the board added.

JAMB advised candidates to immediately log into their e-Facility accounts and check their CAPS profiles.

The process involves:

• Logging into the JAMB e-Facility portal.

• Clicking on “Admission Status”.

• Accessing the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

• Checking if an admission offer is available.

• Selecting either “Accept Admission” or “Reject Admission”.

The board also warned candidates not to assume their admission status has remained unchanged without checking their dashboards.

“If you have an admission offer, accept or reject the offer with immediate effect,” JAMB stated in a video explainer shared on its official social media platforms.

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JAMB made it clear that candidates should not expect another extension after September 30.

The board said all admission offers from 2021 till date that remain untouched after the deadline would automatically be cancelled.

“At the expiration of the deadline, all outstanding admission offers from 2021 to date that have neither been accepted nor rejected will automatically be reverted to ‘Not Admitted’ status and will remain so on the Board’s records,” JAMB warned.

It added that failure to accept an admission offer within the approved period would make the offer invalid.

The latest announcement comes as JAMB continues efforts to streamline Nigeria’s admission process and improve record keeping. The country’s education system handles millions of applicants yearly, with Nigerian students increasingly seeking opportunities not only within local universities but also across institutions globally.

Nigerian graduates and students have continued to gain recognition internationally, with many securing admissions, scholarships and academic achievements in top institutions around the world. JAMB said maintaining accurate admission records remains important as more Nigerians compete for educational opportunities locally and abroad.

The board recently introduced another change aimed at making admission processes easier by allowing candidates to verify and upload their O’level results from home while JAMB confirms the results directly with examination bodies, starting with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

Candidates affected by the pending admission issue have now been advised to check their CAPS profiles immediately before the September 30 deadline turns their offers into missed opportunities.