Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has cautioned universities against admitting underage students, calling such practices “illegal.”

He emphasized the need to halt illegal admissions, including those of underage students, during the opening of the seventh biennial conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria, held on Tuesday in Lagos.

The conference, themed “Effective University Governance: Role of Stakeholders,” highlighted the importance of accountability, data protection, and integrity in the nation’s educational system, stressing that any irregularities are illegal.

“About two months ago, I received a letter from a European country to confirm if a student had graduated from a specific university, as she was only 15 years old and had applied for a postgraduate course. They questioned whether this was possible in Nigeria. I contacted the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, who confirmed the student graduated but was not admitted through JAMB. He noted that he was not the VC at the time of her admission,” Oloyede said.

He urged state-owned universities to address this issue as they outnumber federal universities. Furthermore, he also highlighted the need to stop illegal admissions of diploma students, citing that last year, 9,000 diploma students were admitted, with about 3,000 coming from a single university.

“We must all be accountable as these practices can harm our education system,” Oloyede added.

Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to the President, encouraged pro-chancellors to develop action plans to make their institutions as competitive and attractive as federal and private universities. He emphasized that this would help retain top faculty and staff and attract the best students.

“State-owned universities must explore specific niches that leverage their comparative advantages, which can enhance their position and brand recognition,” Gambari said.

Sen. Joshua Lidani, Chairman of COPSUN and Pro-Chancellor of Gombe State University, noted that the conference theme addressed various governance issues within the university system. He pointed out several challenges facing the university system and tertiary education, including corrupt practices, impersonation, miracle exam centers, inadequate funding, and the proliferation of universities.

“Other challenges include the indiscriminate and premature dissolution of governing councils and boards of tertiary institutions and delays in reconstituting them,” Lidani said.

He added that these acts not only violate regulations but also create administrative vacuums that lead to various anomalies.

“Incessant strike actions by ASUU and other labour unions disrupt stability, quality, and standards. While this conference alone cannot solve all the issues, it can raise awareness and highlight the threats to good governance and quality in tertiary education. I am confident that the conference can provide guidance on how stakeholders can play a better role in improving education standards in the country,” he concluded.