JAMB: Is 18 The New Admission Age?

Recent comments from the Nigerian Minister of Education have sparked discussions about potentially raising the minimum age for university admission from 16 to 18 years. While the Minister expressed concerns about underage students taking the UTME and suggested that 18 might be a more appropriate minimum age, no official policy change has been implemented yet. The current requirement remains 16 years, and any potential changes to the admission age will not take effect in 2024, possibly not even in 2025, as such decisions would require thorough review and agreement among educational stakeholders.

Barely 3 hours after the Minister of Education visited a CBT center where UTME was being held today, I am writing this post to address two questions:

• Is it true that schools will henceforth admit only candidates who are 18 or above?
• If not yet, when will that possibly happen?

When I heard that 18 years is the new admission age, I went online to see what's trending. They were right; the Minister of Education did mention something like that, but not entirely as most headlines are saying.

Okay, see the headlines below.

Some headlines

Apparently, something was going on, but most reporters were not adequate about it.

What Actually Happened

Okay, in summary, it's true that the Minister expressed concern about underage students attempting UTME. It's true that the Minister said they're going to look into the age issues. It's true that he opined that the ideal age to gain admission should be 18.

But... there is nowhere he said a candidate below the age of 18 won't be considered until the pegged age is reviewed and the new age is announced.

As an education consultant, I know parents and guardians will be knocking at our doors at Techie BEC Konsults, while online readers will force us to increase service time to help them understand what's happening. So, here is what happened and the answers to your questions.

There May Be a Review of Admission Age Starting From 2024

Having openly expressed concern over the uptake of JAMB forms by the "underage," as some will call it, the Minister of Education has given us a red light to be worried about the trend of 15 years or 16 years gaining admission.

Below are the exact words of the Minister:

The other thing which we notice is the age of those who have applied to go to the university. Some of them are too young. We are going to look at it because they are too young to understand what a university education is all about.

By implication, the part "We are going to look at it" tells it all. The ministry will review the current admission age, which is pegged to 16, but it's not yet conclusive.

Apparently, something could come up in the later years. I don't doubt the fact that the ministry may eventually resolve to 18 years, but not likely this 2024. In fact, it's not likely in 2025 either.

Experience has shown two things. There have been occasions like this in the history of our education 

• when the ministry promises a review and never done or even concluded, let alone implemented. For instance, after the Ministry once said they would scarp the post-UTME, they later denied that.
• Similarly to that is when the ministry decides on such, but senators and representatives turn it down.

On this note, parents shouldn't worry yet and just wait to see things unfolding. The age of admission still remains 16 until otherwise announced.

2024 UTME Applicants Should Expect Admission with Age 16

If you're a 2024 admission seeker into any of our universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, innovation enterprises institutions, college of nursing, or college of health, you shouldn't be bothered, at least for this year.

As you can see, the issue of reviewing the admission age didn't come up until the Minister saw some students assumed to be underage at UTME centers. JAMB itself has warned parents from enrolling their minors in JAMB and insisted that the acceptable age for admission is 16. So, even if it'll state otherwise, it won't be this year or anytime sooner.

In the past, JAMB and schools have denied students admission because they're less than 16. Nobody fought it because it was well stated by JAMB and institutions that the acceptable age was 16. Even not admitting less than 16 was once looked into by the stakeholders. After all deliberation, 16 were unanimously accepted. If there will be any change again, the parties must still be around the table