Admission Policy Clash: Lagos Dumps JAMB’s 150, Pegs Cut-Off At 185

The Lagos State Government has rejected the 150 minimum cut-off mark approved by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for university admissions, declaring that candidates seeking admission into its state-owned universities must score at least 185 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule, made the position known on Wednesday during a ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa as part of activities marking the third year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.

According to Sule, the cut-off mark approved by JAMB was too low for Lagos State universities and did not reflect the educational standards expected in the state.

Lagos Reporters gathered that the Lagos State Government is determined to maintain what it described as quality admission standards across its tertiary institutions despite the national benchmark announced by JAMB.

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“To us in Lagos State, the cut-off marks approved by JAMB look too low for our universities. None of our three universities is admitting any student who scored below 185 in the UTME,” the commissioner stated.

He explained that although JAMB’s decision was intended to accommodate candidates across the country’s six geo-political zones, Lagos could not lower its standards to align with states facing educational challenges.

“For JAMB to announce 150 as the cut-off mark out of the 400 obtainable marks in the UTME for this year’s admission seekers is very low,” Sule said.

He further stressed that Lagos should not be classified among educationally disadvantaged states, adding that the state would continue to maintain higher academic standards in its admission process.

“Lagos cannot be considered educationally disadvantaged to the extent of bringing its cut-off mark down to meet what Sokoto or Zamfara State requires,” he added.

The development signals that admission seekers into Lagos-owned tertiary institutions may face stricter entry requirements despite JAMB’s national benchmark for the 2026 admission exercise.