The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, has approved the admission of candidates from the age of 16 into Nigerian tertiary institutions. This decision came after objections and pleas from heads of tertiary institutions during the 2024 policy meeting organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Abuja on Thursday.
Initially, the minister had directed that only candidates aged 18 and above be admitted, citing Nigeria’s educational policy. However, the directive was met with significant opposition from the audience, which included university vice-chancellors, registrars, rectors, and other stakeholders in the education sector.
The representative from Elizade University moved a motion for adopting 16 years as the minimum admission age, arguing that many candidates under 18 had already taken the UTME. Following heated discussions, the minister agreed to lower the admission age to 16, a decision that was met with applause and cheers from the attendees.
