Minister Of Education Makes U-Turn, Concedes To 16 Years University Admission Benchmark For 2024

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has agreed to reconsider his decision to set the undergraduate admission age at 18.

This comes following protests from stakeholders at the Policy Meeting organized by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Mamman said Heads of tertiary institutions could be allowed to admit candidates who are 16 years of age, gain admission into tertiary institutions of their choice.

The minister was forced to succumb, following the argument that students under the age of 18 had already registered, sat and passed the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and were awaiting admission.

Leading the motion, Vice Chancellor of Elizade University Prof. Kayode Thadius Ijiadunola who got massive support from other heads, registrar and admission officers participating in the policy meeting, proposed 16 as the minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary institutions.

He said,

“What happens to those who have written this year’s exams and passed their exams? We reject 18 years as the minimum age requirement and are proposing 16 years.”

While the hall erupted in support of 16 years as a minimum requirement, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, asked where parents and candidates were rushing to?

Oloyede said:

“The only point is they have taken examinations and at that time they were not told or aware and therefore if we want to enforce it, it should be from subsequent years.”

The minister in response had said,

“I can work with that but I want to remind you of one thing, even that argument cannot stand if we want to go by the law which states 6-3-3-4 as our system of education, it won’t stand but for practical reasons, for this year, I will allow it to stand.”

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Reiterating the minister’s decision amidst a resounding applause, Prof Oloyede added,

“We thank the minister for conceding but from next year we will enforce it.”

Earlier, the minister while delivering his address as chairman of the 2024 Joint Admissions Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) policy meeting on Education holding on Thursday in Abuja, had called for enforcement of 18 years as the new minimum admission age for admission into tertiary institutions in the country.

JAMB Authorizes Nigerian Universities And Tertiary Institutions To Accept Admission Seekers Who Turn 16 By August 31, 2025

Immediately after the Minister of Education, Prof Mamman made the announcement, the stakeholders who turned out their members from across tertiary institutions in the country, voiced resistance which turned the session into a rowdy one.

ALSO SEE: FG Bans Admissions For Under 18 Across All Nigerian Universities, Stakeholders Protest

The minister who was unable to proceed with his address as a result of the uproar, had asked “are we together?”

However, the stakeholders had responded with a resounding “No!”

The minister who seemed unperturbed with the development, had continued with his address as he tried to give reasons for pegging the new admission benchmark at 18.

It took the intervention of the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, to restore order to the policy meeting with his plea of “Please pay attention please!”

The policy meeting on education is an annual event. It authorised the commencement of admission into tertiary institutions in the country.