Thousands of prospective candidates for the Nigerian Defence Academy's 78th Regular Course have alleged that the Institution's admission portal became inaccessible shortly after opening, preventing them from completing their registration and generating the mandatory Remita Retrieval Reference codes required to make payments.

The aggrieved applicants claim the portal was available for only a brief period before shutting down, leaving many unable to pay the non refundable N7,000 application fee or finalise their online registration. The development has triggered widespread frustration among candidates and parents across the country.

The Academy had directed applicants to visit its official portal, select the access code purchase option, generate an RRR code, and complete payment through the approved Remita platform.

"Candidates should log on to the application portal, select 'Purchase Access Code' and fill in their details to pay for their application via Remita in the sum of N7,000.00 only. Please note that only payment against RRR codes generated via the application portal would be accepted," the institution had stated.

However, affected candidates told journalists they made repeated attempts to access the platform without success before the portal was shut down entirely.

"We had been waiting for the portal to open, only for us to discover that it had become inaccessible after a very short period. Many of us kept trying without success. We believe deserving candidates should not lose this opportunity because of technical challenges," one applicant stated.

Adding to the controversy, some candidates alleged that a select group may have received advance notice of the portal's opening, enabling them to register before others were locked out. The claims remain unverified but have intensified calls for transparency.

The Academy, in a notice titled "Notice To Candidates On NDA Screening Test State Selection," maintained that the registration window had closed and that candidates who failed to complete the process within the approved timeline had forfeited their opportunity.

"The Nigerian Defence Academy operates a strict timeline, and all candidates are expected to follow instructions within the stipulated timeframes," the notice read, adding that information had been communicated through email, the NDA website, and official social media handles.

The Academy also announced a rescheduling of its screening test from June 13, 2026, to June 20, 2026, to avoid a clash with the JAMB mop up examination fixed for the same date.

Affected candidates are demanding that the institution reopen the portal or grant a registration extension, arguing that technical failures beyond their control should not cost them the opportunity to serve.