The federal government has officially pegged the age for admission into the nation’s tertiary institutions at age 16.

 

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said this on Tuesday, July 8, while declaring open the ongoing Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, in Abuja.

 

Alausa declared that the official age of 16 set by the government is not negotiable.

 

He also warned that any admission conducted outside of the Central Admission Processing System, CAPS, would be illegal and perpetrators would be prosecuted.

 

He said that the heads of institutions found to be engaged in admission fraud would face prosecution.

 

Recall that the former Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman had directed JAMB and tertiary institutions to stop admitting under-18-year-old candidates into higher education programmes.

 

However, by July 2024, Mamman made a u-turn on his earlier directive. During the review of the memorandum for the 2024 policy meeting on the year’s admissions, Mamman later called for the adoption of 16 years.

 

This decision came after objections and appeals from stakeholders, including rectors, registrars, vice chancellor and other principal officers, present at the 2024 admission policy meeting organised by JAMB, in Abuja on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

 

Today, July 8, 2025, the current Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa pegged the official age of admission at 16.