The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has introduced flexible cut-off marks to expand admissions to tertiary institutions of learning in the country. Registrar of the Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede stated this at the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri.

 “The purpose of today’s meeting is essentially to consider admissions of our teeming applicants who were not considered during the first exercise. ​Your Excellency, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, kindly recall that at the two (2) previous meetings in Kano and Abuja, I stated that the Board would cooperate with the various institutions in carrying out the mandates of their respective Senates and Academic Boards on admission matters. Therefore, the Board would not impose candidates on them but, as a referee, would ensure that no applicant is unjustifiably denied the opportunity of access to tertiary institutions in Nigeria,” said Oloyede

On the controversial minimum cut-off mark for admission into tertiary institution, Oloyede said time had come to review same; noting that uniformity across board should not be encouraged, arguing that since the various institutions award different categories of certificates; same cut-off mark is untenable. His words: “Let me in this connection, address the issue of the minimum national cut-off mark which is normally decided at the Policy Meetings. By way of information, the Policy Meeting is one that comprises the Honourable Minister of Education as the Chairman, the Heads of Regulatory Bodies in the Education Sector such as NUC, NBTE, NABTEB, NCCE, the Heads of Tertiary Institutions, the Board and other Stakeholders. It was at this meeting that a decision of 180 as the 2016 National cut-off mark was reached. However, many Institutions, though part of the decision, have expressed concern on their inability to effect this cut-off mark as they are finding it difficult to fill a reasonable percentage of their quota if the rule is strictly applied ….”