Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has declared his intention to enforce a law requiring students to be at least 18 years old for admission into tertiary institutions.
Speaking at the 2024 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Abuja on Thursday, Mamman highlighted the need to establish clear guidelines for the 2024 academic session admissions.
The minister directed JAMB to ensure that only candidates who have attained the age of 18 years are admitted into tertiary institutions during the 2024 admission process.
“Recent findings indicate that the admission of underage candidates is adversely affecting universities and the education system at large, necessitating the enforcement of existing regulations,” Mamman stated.
“While monitoring the recently concluded 2024 UTME, I observed a significant number of clearly underage candidates participating in the examination,” he noted. “This underscores the importance of enforcing educational policies that stipulate nine years of basic education and three years of senior secondary education before tertiary admission.”
Mamman expressed concern over the surge in requests for age modifications in anticipation of the impending age policy enforcement, describing it as endangering the futures of young individuals by those entrusted with their care.
“As a result, JAMB is directed to strictly admit only eligible students, those who have reached 18 years of age,” Mamman emphasized. “Universities are advised against recommending unqualified candidates for admission.”
According to NAN, there was a contentious atmosphere during the meeting when the minister announced the minimum age requirement of 18 years for tertiary admissions. Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, and other stakeholders expressed dissent over the decision.
Despite the protest, Mamman reaffirmed that the 2024 admission criteria remain unchanged and urged institutions to adhere strictly to the stipulated admission requirements.
He cautioned that any university officials found circumventing the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) for admissions would face sanctions moving forward.
