FG sets 16 as minimum age for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions

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GistReel

The Federal Government (FG) has officially fixed 16 years as the minimum age for admission into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the announcement on Tuesday, July 8, during the 2025 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) held in Abuja.

Alausa stated that the decision was based on ensuring cognitive readiness and academic maturity, emphasizing that the 16-year benchmark is mandatory and not subject to debate.

“This policy reflects a balance between cognitive maturity and academic preparedness. Sixteen years is non-negotiable,” he said.

He also warned that institutions admitting students outside the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) would face sanctions.

According to him, any institution head involved in admission fraud would be prosecuted.

The policy follows earlier attempts by former Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, who initially directed that under-18 candidates be barred from admission.

However, after feedback from stakeholders at the 2024 JAMB policy meeting, the minimum age was revised and later adopted as 16.

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