The Federal Government of Nigeria has formally announced 16 years as the official minimum age for admission into all tertiary institutions across the country.
This new directive was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during the 2025 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) held in Abuja on Tuesday.
A New Standard for Admissions
Dr. Alausa emphasized that the 16-year age benchmark is now an official and non-negotiable policy. According to him, this move aims to bring more order and standardization to the nation’s education system.
“From now on, no candidate below the age of 16 will be considered eligible for admission into any university, polytechnic, or college of education in Nigeria,” he stated.
The Minister also stressed that every admission must go through JAMB’s official system, known as CAPS. He warned that if any school tries to admit students outside that process, it’ll be considered illegal.
Why This New Rule?
For a long time now, people have been worried about students entering university way too early, sometimes as young as 13 or 14. Yes, they might be smart, but many believe they’re just not emotionally or mentally ready to handle life on campus.
The government is now stepping in to say, “Let’s slow things down a bit.” This new age limit is meant to make sure students are truly ready for university, not just in their books, but in life too. It’s also a way to bring order and consistency across all schools in the country.