FG Sets Minimum Admission Age of 18 for Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, Directs JAMB Compliance
“JAMB is hereby instructed from admission this year to admit only eligible students. That is those who have attained 18 years by our laws,” the minister stated.
Binye-lum 
The Federal Government has issued a directive mandating that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and all Nigerian tertiary institutions admit only candidates who are 18 years old or above.
This directive was announced by the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, during the 2024 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions in Abuja on Thursday. The forum gathers key stakeholders involved in the admission processes of tertiary institutions in the country.
READ ALSO:UDUS Admits Fewer Students in 2023/2024 Academic Session
“JAMB is hereby instructed from admission this year to admit only eligible students. That is those who have attained 18 years by our laws,” the minister stated.
Despite some resistance from the audience, the minister affirmed that his directive is supported by existing laws. He clarified, “Our laws require students to be in school from six years—yes, there are those who do that from five—and remain in primary school for six years, basic education for three years, and secondary school for three years… It doesn’t require a statement of the minister… we are only restating what is in the law.”
This announcement reinforces the legal age requirements for students to be admitted into tertiary institutions, aiming to ensure that only students of the appropriate age are considered for admission.
