The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cancelled the special concession previously granted to persons with albinism, citing widespread abuse and examination malpractice.
The decision was announced by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Isaq Oloyede, during a meeting with Commissioners for Education in Lagos.
Oloyede revealed that the privilege was exploited by fraudsters using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to manipulate the registration process, noting that more than 7,000 candidates falsely claimed to be albinos in the previous year.
He stressed that JAMB would no longer tolerate any form of malpractice and had intensified measures to curb the activities of unscrupulous individuals.
The Registrar also warned faith-based institutions to clearly disclose their religious status from the outset, cautioning against presenting themselves as secular to attract applicants and later enforcing religious rules on students.
On admission criteria, Oloyede explained that Federal Government-owned institutions admit candidates based on 45 per cent merit, 20 per cent catchment area, 20 per cent educationally less disadvantaged states, with the remaining slots allocated to others.
He urged states to reserve at least 10 per cent of admissions strictly for merit to promote diversity.
Addressing underage admissions, Oloyede reiterated that candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, to qualify for admission.
He added that underage candidates would undergo rigorous evaluation and must score a minimum of 80 per cent in relevant examinations, warning that failure to disclose previous registrations or admissions would attract sanctions.