By DAYO ADESULU
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced an extension of the 2025 admissions deadline for all public universities, shifting the closing date from October 31, 2025, to November 17, 2025.
The decision follows the earlier resolution at the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, chaired by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, which had approved October 31 as the date for all public universities to conclude their admissions. The timeline was designed to enable private universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and innovation enterprise institutions to complete their own processes before the overall national deadline of December 31, 2025.
Why the Deadline Was Extended
According to JAMB, the extension became necessary due to emergent and compelling circumstances affecting the progress of some institutions. The Board cited two major reasons:
1. Appeal from AVCNU:
The Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) requested additional time, pointing to disruptions caused by a court order that halted work on the 2025/2026 admission lists. The order was only vacated on October 28, 2025, leaving universities with limited time to conclude the process.
2. Newly Accredited Programmes:
In line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand access to higher education, the National Universities Commission (NUC) on October 29, 2025, released a list of 229 newly accredited programmes across 37 universities. Admission exercises for these programmes are only now being scheduled.
New Deadline Is Final — JAMB
JAMB emphasized that the extension to Monday, November 17, 2025, is final and must be strictly adhered to by all public universities. The Board commended institutions for their earlier efforts and reiterated its commitment to a transparent and credible admissions process that aligns with national education goals.
The announcement was signed by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, Public Communication Adviser of JAMB.
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