Starting in the 2025 admission year, Nigeria’s Federal Government has decided that candidates under 18 years old can no longer gain admission to tertiary institutions. This announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, in Abuja during the 2024 Policy Meeting organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Initially, this policy was supposed to begin in the 2024 admission year. However, due to protests and appeals from institutions arguing that candidates had not been informed before the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), its implementation was postponed to 2025. The decision aligns with the National Policy on Education’s recommendations, and enforcement will begin fully in the 2025 admission year.
Prof. Mamman explained his experience as a Vice Chancellor for seven years, noting the struggles of underage students in coping with university demands. During the monitoring of the 2024 UTME, he observed many obviously underage candidates taking the exam, which prompted his call for stricter adherence to educational policies. These policies outline that children should have nine years of basic education and three years of senior secondary education, entering tertiary institutions at about 18 years old.
He emphasized that enrolling underage candidates has been harming the university system and the overall education structure. He also noted a rise in applications for immediate age changes to reflect higher ages, indicating manipulations that put innocent children’s futures at risk.
Hence, JAMB is instructed to only admit students who are 18 years or older. Universities are advised against recommending underage students for admission. The Minister also stressed that admission criteria must remain as approved and circulated, adhering to guidelines from regulatory bodies like the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
JAMB, as the regulatory body, is responsible for ensuring fairness and equity in the admission process. With technology like the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), compliance with agreed procedures is enforced to maintain quality, accountability, and equity in admissions.
