A pressure group, the Movement Against JAMB Injustice, made up of concerned parents, has described the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) age limit policy as unconstitutional and discriminatory, calling for its immediate reversal.
The group urged the Federal Government to review the policy and allow candidates who will be 16 years old by the end of the 2025/2026 academic session to seek admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Led by Mr. Olusegun Steven, the group staged a protest march to JAMB’s office in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, despite heavy rainfall. The protesters carried placards and demanded that JAMB and the Ministry of Education extend the cut-off date for age eligibility from September 30 to December, describing it as a matter of fairness.
The parents faulted JAMB’s decision to set a cut-off mark of 320 for candidates below 16 years by September 30, calling it “arbitrary, unfair, and a breach of children’s rights to education.”
“We are shocked and disappointed that, despite a court ruling against age discrimination, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede-led JAMB and the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, are still enforcing this policy,” Steven said. “This policy is not only unfair but also discriminatory, and we will not stand idly by while our children’s rights are being trampled upon.”
He cited the case of a child who scored 315 and was qualified to study Architecture at a private university but was denied admission due to her age.
The group vowed to continue peaceful protests until JAMB suspends what it described as an “obnoxious and discriminatory” age limit policy.
