The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the full restoration of its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which was temporarily unavailable for 96 hours. CAPS was restored on Sunday, September 27, 2026, and is now fully operational. The Board apologized for the inconvenience caused by the disruption and urged tertiary institutions to intensify their admission processes to recover lost time and comply with agreed deadlines.
JAMB attributed the temporary unavailability of CAPS to an administrative challenge involving its hosting organization. The Board assured stakeholders that it was working with relevant service providers to restore the platform and ensure its stability. With CAPS now operational, institutions are advised to accelerate their admission processes, while candidates are urged to promptly accept admission offers made to them.
At the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions, stakeholders agreed on timelines for concluding admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session. Public universities must conclude admissions by October 31, 2026, private universities by November 30, 2026, and other tertiary institutions by December 31, 2026. JAMB emphasized that all admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session must be concluded by December 31, 2026.
Following the release of the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results by the National Examinations Council (NECO), JAMB urged public universities to intensify their admission processes and make effective use of the remaining period to meet the October 31 deadline. Private universities were advised to work towards concluding their admissions by November 30, while other tertiary institutions must complete their processes by the end of December.
JAMB assured stakeholders that as institutions accelerate their admission processes, the Board would promptly consider and approve admission recommendations submitted through CAPS. The Board also advised candidates who had been awaiting the release of their NECO results to immediately upload or verify their results to ensure their credentials are available for consideration.
To prevent future disruptions, JAMB is putting in place medium- and long-term redundancy and business-continuity measures to strengthen CAPS' resilience, stability, and reliability. These measures aim to reduce dependence on any single hosting or service environment and minimize the risk and impact of future disruptions.
JAMB reiterated its commitment to improving the reliability of its admission systems and assured candidates, institutions, and stakeholders that lessons from the recent disruption would be applied to strengthen CAPS and improve the overall admission experience. The Board is working to ensure that its systems are robust and reliable to support the admission process.
Key points
- JAMB restores CAPS after 96-hour disruption
- October 31 deadline for public university admissions reaffirmed
- Measures in place to prevent future disruptions and improve CAPS reliability
