Screenshot
Iyunade Abayomi
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has extended the deadline for candidates with outstanding admission offers to either accept or reject them.
The deadline, which was initially set for August 31, 2026, has now been extended to Wednesday, September 30, 2026. JAMB described the extension as the final opportunity for affected candidates to take action on their outstanding admissions.
The directive applies to candidates with pending admission offers dating from 2021 to 2026, including regular and CUIIA admissions. Candidates who have not yet responded to such offers are advised to log into their JAMB profiles and check their admission status through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
Candidates who accept their offers will be able to proceed with the necessary admission documentation, including printing their JAMB admission letters. Those who reject an offer will have their admission status reverted to “Not Admitted” on their JAMB dashboard.
JAMB also provided clarification for candidates whose circumstances have changed. Candidates who are no longer studying at the institution where their previous admission was offered, or who are currently enrolled in a different programme, may accept the outstanding admission and subsequently apply for the appropriate correction or deletion of the admission where necessary. This is intended to help JAMB update its records correctly.
Candidates currently pursuing a second degree but who still have an earlier unaccepted admission may also reject the previous offer and continue with their current programme.
Importantly, JAMB stated that candidates who have already received admission during the 2026 admission exercise but still have an older outstanding offer should not be worried about rejecting the earlier offer. According to the Board, rejecting the previous admission will not negatively affect their 2026 admission.
JAMB has warned that there will be no further opportunity after September 30, 2026. Any outstanding admission offer from 2021 to date that has neither been accepted nor rejected by the deadline will automatically be reverted to “Not Admitted” and will remain so on the Board’s records.
The development comes as the 2026/2027 admission process continues across Nigerian tertiary institutions. JAMB and other stakeholders had earlier agreed that public universities should conclude their 2026 admission exercises by October 31, 2026, while private universities have until November 30, 2026. Polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education are expected to conclude their admission processes by December 31, 2026.
With the new deadline approaching, candidates with outstanding offers are encouraged to check their JAMB CAPS status and make their decision early rather than waiting until the final day.
