Dr Tunji Alausa, the newly appointed Minister of Education, has announced the abolition of the 18-year admission benchmark for tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
During his inaugural press conference held in Abuja on Wednesday, he suggested that his administration may review the country’s education policy.
Despite this shift, Minister Alausa confirmed that there will be no reversal of the federal government’s decision to annul over 22,700 degree certificates obtained by Nigerians from certain “fake” universities in neighbouring Togo and Benin Republic.
Recall on August 26 that the Federal Government officially banned individuals under the age of 18 from participating in the National Examinations Council (NECO) and West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams. The former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, made the announcement.
He explained that the government has instructed WAEC, which conducts the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), and NECO, which oversees the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), to enforce the 18-year-old requirements for exam candidates.
He emphasized that this directive is not a new policy but a reaffirmation of existing regulations.
He stated, “It is 18 years, during our meeting with JAMB in July, we agreed to allow this year as a grace period for parents. This means that JAMB will admit students below 18 years old this year, but starting next year, the age requirement of 18 will be strictly enforced for university admissions in Nigeria.”
However, after several debates, the Federal Government exempted exceptionally intelligent students who are below the age of 18 from the ban on underage individuals taking the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and National Examination Council (NECO).
