FG Issues Directive to JAMB, Others, Pegs Admission age Into Tertiary Institutions at 18

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, a professor, has directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Nigerian tertiary institutions to admit only candidates who are 18 years and above into the tertiary institutions.

The minister gave the directive in his address at the ongoing 2024 Policy Meeting on Admissions into Tertiary Institutions in Abuja on Thursday.

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 said as the hall erupted with grumbling.

The policy meeting is a forum of critical stakeholders in the admission processes into tertiary institutions in the country including university vice-chancellors and registrars, rectors and registrars of polytechnics, provosts, and registrars of colleges of education, JAMB registrar and other officials of the examination body, among principal officers of mono-technics.

“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 said as the hall erupted with grumbling.

Responding to the ominous grumbling in the hall, the minister insisted that his position was backed by Nigeria’s law guiding admissions into tertiary institutions. He said it shouldn’t require a statement from him for that to be taken into consideration by admission bodies.