FG Sets Tertiary Admission Age At 16
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has declared that the Federal Government has fixed the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions at 16 years.
Alausa made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2025 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
According to him, the policy decision reflects a balance between cognitive maturity and academic preparedness, stressing that 16 years is non-negotiable.
He, however, noted that provisions exist for clearly documented and justified exceptions, such as gifted children with accelerated educational progress.
The Minister cautioned institutions against attempting to circumvent the rule by altering age records, warning that such acts would attract sanctions.
Alausa also announced new measures to curb examination malpractices, which he described as a “cancer” undermining merit and eroding confidence in Nigeria’s education system.
He revealed the establishment of a Central Examination Malpractice Unit within the Federal Ministry of Education, to be chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Abel Enitan.
This unit will serve as a national clearinghouse for documenting and reporting malpractice cases across all levels of education, with a central database accessible to all institutions.
The Minister expressed hope that this would reduce the tendency to engage in malpractices, as offenders would be tried under the Exam Malpractices Act.
Furthermore, Alausa confirmed the government’s support for WAEC and NECO to adopt computer-based testing to curb malpractices.
FG Sets Tertiary Admission Age At 16 is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
