The Federal Government has officially pegged the minimum age for admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions at 16 years.
This directive was disclosed on Tuesday by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during the ongoing Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Abuja.
Dr. Alausa also delivered a strong warning that any admissions processed outside the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) would be considered illegal. He stressed that individuals involved in such irregularities, including heads of institutions would be liable for prosecution.
The latest pronouncement puts to rest lingering debates over the appropriate minimum age for tertiary education entry. While there had been earlier suggestions to raise the benchmark to 18 years, the government has now decisively settled on 16 as the standard.
