The management of Lagos State University, LASU has responded to mounting public concern and social media allegations regarding the ongoing 2025/2026 admission exercise, attributing the controversy to the overwhelming number of applications received this year.
In a statement released by the institution’s Centre for Information and Public Relations, the University said it has observed “numerous social media posts and comments” alleging admission racketeering and unfair selection practices.
While asserting that the institution owes no individual applicant an explanation for admission decisions, LASU said it felt compelled to address what it described as a “troubling and potentially misleading narrative.”
According to official data, LASU was the most subscribed university in Nigeria in the 2025 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), recording over 70,000 applicants. With limited capacity, the University noted that fewer than 20% of applicants could be admitted, meaning that even qualified candidates would, unfortunately, be turned away.
The University reiterated that its admission policy is guided by a combination of merit and state indigeneity, in accordance with Lagos State University Law 2004. This includes a 70:30 ratio in favour of Lagos State indigenes, after an initial merit list based purely on performance.
“The University has offered admission to candidates of all origins who achieved the highest scores in each course (merit admission), as well as all qualified, cleared, and verified indigenes of Lagos State (supplementary and discretionary admission),” the statement said.
In response to allegations of admission racketeering, LASU strongly denied that admission could be bought, stressing that the power to admit students rests solely with the Vice-Chancellor.
“No member of staff has the authority or capacity to offer admission in exchange for money,” the University said, warning that individuals making such claims are “preying on desperation.”
Blacktalker reported that the management also encouraged anyone with verifiable evidence of corrupt practices to report them via the official admissions complaint email: complaints.admissions@lasu.edu.ng. The University assured that all credible allegations will be thoroughly investigated and those found guilty will face disciplinary action.
Concluding, LASU described the current controversy as a consequence of its growing popularity and academic reputation.
“We are, indeed, victims of our own success,” the statement noted. “But success also demands responsibility on the part of the University to uphold transparency and merit, and on the part of applicants and the public to resist the temptation of misinformation.”
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