FG Reverses 18-Year Admission Benchmark in Tertiary Institutions

The Federal Government, under the new Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has officially abolished the 18-year minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria. This decision comes only a few months after the previous administration imposed the age restriction, directing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to admit only candidates aged 18 and above.

In his inaugural press conference held in Abuja, Dr. Alausa explained that the reversal is part of a broader effort to reassess and potentially reform Nigeria’s education policy to address evolving educational needs. However, he firmly stated that the federal government will not overturn its decision to invalidate over 22,700 degrees awarded by certain unaccredited universities in neighboring Togo and Benin Republic, emphasizing the need to uphold the integrity of Nigeria's education system.

The abolished age policy was introduced in July by former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who argued that underage admissions were harming the educational sector. In his address at the 2024 Policy Meeting on Admissions, he asserted that the enrollment of younger candidates was causing substantial challenges within universities, as well as affecting the quality of Nigeria's education system.