The deadline for 2022 admissions into public universities has been left for various institutions to determine based on the status of 2021 admissions.
This was part of resolutions reached at the 2022 Policy meeting and 2020 National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Award program organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
Considering the ongoing strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria, ASUU, participants suggested and adopted that each universities should determine the closing date for the 2022 admissions into the universities giving opportunities for universities yet to conclude 2021 admissions to end the process.
Speaking to Voice of Nigeria on this development and the 140 cut off mark adopted for universities , the Vice chancellor of University of Jos, Prof. Ishaya Tanko said that as much as universities expect the ASUU Strike to end soon, it was better to make plans that would accommodate and address pending admissions in some universities.
According to him, “there are institutions that have not done any admission for year 2021 ,there are students waiting for these admissions therefore at the policy meeting it was difficult to say the 2022 admission should be concluded by 31st of December of this year.
“It was important to consider the ASUU strike and the 2022 admissions because some universities were yet to conclude the 2021 admissions so at the policy meeting we suggested and adopted that each institution will determine the closing of admissions into their various universities because we do not know when the strike will be called off, we are very optimistic following the recent meetings stakeholders had with President Muhammadu Buhari,” Prof Tanko added.
Universities Cut Off Mark
Speaking on the adopted cut off mark , the vice-chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Tanko said that the benchmarks provides common ground for all institutions while it will also rescue candidates of first and second generation universities.
“It is a good balance because some universities may not really have students who score higher but a minimum will give people a clear guidance there are colleges of Education that admits with 200 and above but to make a decision is just a minimum of 100 which is 25-30percent of the entire jamb score perhaps considering the challenges that has affected the system from Covid-19 to disruption of academic calendar, all of these have affected performance of jamb candidates and may have contributed to the agreed cut off mark”
“The main information is that the cut off marks are the minimum and that is not binding on any institution. What is binding is that no institution can go below those cut off marks” he added.
The Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Charles Okechukwu Esimone expressed confidence in the ability of the cut off marks to enrol qualified students at all levels of higher institutions.
“Some of us move very strongly for the particular cut-off because sometimes when you go for something higher you will not be able to come lower, a cut off of 140 does not mean you must take somebody that score 140 but it gives you the latitude incase there are applicants who for some reasons do not fill into particular course and they can be considered, for some of us that compromise, it became necessary because we have institutes that are affiliated to us, if you have college of Education that are affiliated to you and you go higher that means you are disenfranchising them ,it means every candidate that chose your school must meet the minimum standard,” Prof. Charles added.
2021 Score Range and admissions
Earlier, at the 2022 Policy meeting chaired by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede said in his presentation on tit bits of 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Admissions, Oloyede said a total of 1,351,284 candidates applied to study in Nigerian higher institutions in 2021, while another 76,925 students applied for the Direct Entry.
Professor Oloyede however said 600,000 is the target admission for 2021.
