The Lagos State Government has rejected the cut-off marks announced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for the 2026/2027 academic session, insisting that state-owned tertiary institutions will maintain a minimum admission benchmark of 185.

Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule, disclosed this during the ministerial press briefing marking the seventh anniversary of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s administration in Alausa, Ikeja.

Sule described JAMB’s approved cut-off marks of 150 for universities and 100 for polytechnics as too low, stressing that Lagos State would not compromise academic standards in its institutions.

According to him, the state government remains committed to positioning Lagos as a leading centre for tertiary education, innovation and workforce development in West Africa.

The commissioner said the administration had recorded significant achievements in infrastructure development, digital innovation, research advancement, scholarship expansion and institutional stability across state-owned tertiary institutions.

He noted that sustained investment in education was aimed at producing globally competitive graduates and addressing manpower shortages in critical sectors such as healthcare, technology and public service.

Sule said the government had expanded access to higher education through the establishment of new institutions, construction of hostels and lecture theatres, upgrade of laboratories, digitisation of learning systems and improved welfare packages for academic and non-academic staff.

He also disclosed that the state government, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, was advancing legislation for the establishment of a University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

According to him, the proposed institution is expected to boost the training of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals while helping to reduce the migration of medical personnel abroad.

The commissioner further revealed that the ministry was partnering with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to tackle illicit drug use among students in state-owned tertiary institutions.