The Federal Government of Nigeria has directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to only admit candidates who have attained the age of 18 years into tertiary institutions.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, stated that the enrollment of underage candidates is causing damage to the university and education system. He made this known at the 2024 Policy Meeting on Admissions to tertiary institutions in Nigeria, held in Abuja.
“When I was monitoring the just concluded 2024 UTME, I was alarmed at the participation of a large number of obviously under-age candidates in the examination, which necessitated my comment on the need to enforce the extant provisions of the educational policies which made provision for 9 years of Basic Education and 3 years of Senior Secondary Education before entry into tertiary institution.
“It is clear that a child who, as expected, is enrolled in basic school at the age of 6 and having undergone 12 years of education would be around 18 years old when being enrolled in a tertiary institution.
“Subsequent information has revealed that the enrollment of underage candidates is inflicting serious damage on the university and the education system, hence the need for enforcement of extant rules.
“I have also been informed about the surge in applications for immediate requests for a change of age to reflect a higher age in anticipation of the imminent enforcement of the age policy. This again reflects dangerous games being played with the life and future of innocent children by those expected to nurture them.
“Flowing from this, JAMB is hereby instructed to admit only eligible students, i.e., those who have attained 18 years. Universities are advised to avoid recommending unqualified children for admission.
The minister’s pronouncement was met with protests from participants at the event, but he maintained that the decision is already a policy of the federal government aimed at addressing problems facing tertiary institutions.
The Federal Government’s move is aimed at ensuring that only qualified candidates are admitted into tertiary institutions, and to address the issues of underage admission that has been a recurring problem in the education sector.
The meeting was attended by heads of tertiary institutions, regulatory bodies, and other strategic partners in the tertiary education sub-sector in Nigeria.
Do you have a story to share? Want to advertise with us? Or perhaps you need publicity for a product, service, or event?
Contact us:WhatsApp: +2348165713606 Email: nationalreports001@gmail.com
We'd love to hear from you!"
