JAMB bars law admissions in 8 Nigerian universities over accreditation issues

Aspiring law students seeking admission into several Nigerian universities have been hit with a major setback as the Joint Admissions Board (JAMB) has announced a suspension of admissions into Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) programmes at multiple institutions.

This decision follows a directive from the Council of Legal Education (CLE), which has suspended and Matriculation legal studies in the affected schools due to accreditation concerns.

In an official statement released on Wednesday, Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s Public Communications Advisor, disclosed that the board will not process admissions for the Law programme in these institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.

According to the statement, the CLE has withheld accreditation due to concerns such as non-compliance with regulatory requirements, insufficient faculty, inadequate infrastructure, and substandard legal training facilities.

One of the most severely affected institutions is the Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State, where the suspension extends into the 2026/2027 academic session.

This extended restriction indicates more profound concerns regarding the academy’s ability to meet legal education standards.

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The suspension affects the following universities, where JAMB has now barred law admissions for the upcoming session: Kwara State University, Malete, Ilorin, Kwara State; Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State; Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State; Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State; Taraba State University, Jalingo, Taraba State; Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Cross River State; Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State and the Nigerian Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State.

The CLE’s decision serves as a warning to universities that fail to meet the rigorous accreditation requirements for legal education in Nigeria.

For students who had planned to pursue law degrees at these institutions, the announcement comes as a significant disruption, forcing them to reconsider their application choices and seek alternatives in other accredited universities.

While JAMB’s strict adherence to accreditation standards is meant to uphold the quality of legal education, concerns remain about how affected universities will address the deficiencies outlined by the CLE.

The pressing question now is whether these institutions will implement necessary improvements and regain accreditation in time for future admissions.

For now, prospective law students are advised to explore other accredited institutions while the CLE and JAMB continue their oversight efforts to ensure that Nigeria’s legal education system maintains high standards.

The affected universities will need to take urgent steps to rectify their deficiencies if they hope to reinstate their law programmes in subsequent academic sessions.