The Lagos State Government has rejected the 150 minimum cut-off score set by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for admission into universities in Nigeria. The state government believes the score is too low for students who want to gain admission into its state-owned universities.
Instead, Lagos State has confirmed that all its public universities will only consider candidates who score at least 185 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). According to the government, this higher requirement is meant to ensure that students admitted into its institutions are better prepared for academic work and can cope with university-level studies.
The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education in Lagos State, Tolani Sule. He spoke during a ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Lagos.
The briefing was part of activities marking the third year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office. During the event, the commissioner explained that the decision reflects the state’s ongoing efforts to maintain strong academic standards and improve the overall quality of education in its higher institutions.
He also noted that while JAMB provides a national guideline for admissions, individual states and universities still have the authority to set their own specific entry requirements. According to him, Lagos State is committed to ensuring that only qualified and well-prepared students are admitted into its universities, in order to maintain excellence and competitiveness in the education system.