New Guidelines: JAMB Sets Minimum Age of 16 for Admission in 2024/2025 Academic Session
To accommodate institutions that may extend their admission processes into July 2025, JAMB has permitted these institutions to admit candidates who will turn 16 by August 31, 2025, as long as they meet the respective institution’s admission standards.
Binye-lum 
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced new guidelines establishing the minimum admissible age for candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions at 16 years for the 2024/2025 academic session. This decision was made during the 2024 Policy Meeting, with a cut-off date set for December 31, 2024.
To accommodate institutions that may extend their admission processes into July 2025, JAMB has permitted these institutions to admit candidates who will turn 16 by August 31, 2025, as long as they meet the respective institution’s admission standards.
In a memo dated October 16, 2024, Mohammed A. Babaji, the Director of Admissions at JAMB, requested that institutions compile and submit a list of candidates eligible for admission who will be 16 years old between January 1 and August 31, 2025, within a week of the memo's issuance. This initiative aims to ensure equitable treatment for candidates whose admissions may continue into August 2025.
Institutions that wish to maintain their own minimum age requirement of 16 years within the year 2024 are allowed to do so. JAMB remains committed to upholding admission standards while accommodating the varying policies of individual institutions.
