Gladness Gideon
The Federal Government has formally established 16 years as the minimum age for admission into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria, declaring the policy non-negotiable.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the announcement on Tuesday at the opening of the 2025 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), held in Abuja. The policy meeting serves as a forum where key decisions on admissions and related issues are made by the nation’s education stakeholders.
According to Dr. Alausa, the age requirement is aimed at preserving academic standards and ensuring emotional and intellectual maturity among students entering higher education. He emphasized that institutions must strictly adhere to the age policy, warning that any deviation would not be tolerated.
“The official entry age of 16 into tertiary institutions is not negotiable,” Alausa said. “We must uphold this standard to maintain the quality and integrity of our education system.”
The Minister also issued a stern warning against unauthorized admissions, stating that all admission processes must go through the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), the platform developed by JAMB to ensure transparency and fairness.
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He cautioned that any admission conducted outside of CAPS would be deemed illegal, and institutions or individuals involved would face legal consequences.
“Let me reiterate: any admission conducted outside CAPS is illegal. Heads of institutions involved in such practices will be prosecuted,” he said.
The meeting was attended by vice chancellors, rectors, provosts, and other stakeholders in the education sector, who are expected to align with the new directive as part of broader reforms in the admissions process.
The decision reinforces the government’s commitment to standardizing the education sector and curbing irregularities in the admission of candidates into higher institutions across the country.