The Delta State High Court in Warri has temporarily restrained the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from enforcing its recent policy mandating a minimum admissible age of 16 years for university admissions. This order will remain in place pending the hearing and determination of a motion challenging the policy.
The policy, announced by JAMB on October 16, stated that only candidates who turn 16 by August 2025 would be eligible for admission into tertiary institutions. This decision aligns with a new directive from the Ministry of Education adopting 18 as the minimum age for university admissions, although JAMB permitted an exception for the 2024/2025 academic session.
Dissatisfied with the policy, John Aikpokpo-Martins, a former Nigerian Bar Association chairman from Warri, filed a suit against JAMB on behalf of candidates born between September 1, 2009, and December 31, 2009, who had passed the 2024 JAMB exams. The suit, marked W/311/FHR/2021, lists JAMB and Edwin Clark University as respondents.
On Thursday, Justice Anthony Akpovi granted the applicant’s request to halt any action implementing the 16-year age directive until the matter is fully heard. The court also issued an interim injunction to protect the admission status and rights of Aikpokpo-Martins’ daughter, Angel Aikpokpo Martins, preventing any disruption to her access to educational facilities.
In his ruling, Justice Akpovi emphasized the preservation of rights for all affected candidates. He ordered JAMB to hold its circular dated October 16 in abeyance, maintaining the existing admission list until the case’s full hearing. The court also granted a request for accelerated hearing and allowed substituted service via courier to expedite the process.
