Cynthia Ezegwu
A coalition of concerned parents, students, and stakeholders in Ekiti State has appealed to the Federal Government to reverse the newly implemented age restriction policy for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
The group, under the aegis of the Coalition of Concerned Parents, Students and Stakeholders, made the appeal in a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and signed by Adeniran Samuel and Omotayo Omokayode. The letter was made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Sunday.
The parents urged the minister to use his office to grant a waiver for all qualified students who passed the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), irrespective of age. They also asked that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) be directed to remove what they described as “portal restrictions” that prevent underage candidates from processing admission.
JAMB recently began implementing a policy stipulating that only candidates who are at least 16 years old by August 2025 would be eligible for admission into tertiary institutions. The move has sparked protests from parents and guardians across the country, with many calling for its reversal.
The Ekiti group described the policy as a violation of Section 18(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees citizens’ freedom from discrimination based on circumstances of birth, sex, community, religion, or other status.
“The JAMB policy amounts to discrimination based on the circumstance of birth, by excluding brilliant students from access to higher education while admitting older, less qualified peers,” the parents said.
They also recalled a ruling by the Delta State High Court, which previously declared JAMB’s underage admission directive null and void.
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The coalition noted that the policy was particularly unfair given the low success rate in the 2025 UTME, where only seven per cent of candidates scored 250 or higher.
“Denying admission to candidates who excelled early despite scoring above 70 per cent, while admitting others with lower scores, undermines the principle of merit,” the statement added.
The parents urged the Federal Government to consider phased implementation of any age-related policy, beginning from primary or junior secondary school rather than at the end of secondary education.
“These children are not asking for undue advantage; they are simply asking not to be punished for excelling early. Denying them admission dims their hope, weakens their morale, and unfairly penalises their brilliance,” the letter read.
They expressed optimism that the education minister’s intervention would restore fairness and justice for affected students.