BREAKING: Minister makes U-turn, asks JAMB, institutions to admit candidates from 16 years

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, has granted approval for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Nigerian tertiary institutions to admit candidates from the age of 16.

This followed objections and pleas by heads of tertiary institutions present at the policy meeting on the 2024 admission organised by JAMB and held in Abuja on Thursday.

The policy meeting is a forum for critical stakeholders in the admission processes into tertiary institutions in the country, including university vice-chancellors and registrars, rectors and registrars of polytechnics, provosts and registrars of colleges of education, the JAMB registrar and other officials of the examination body, and principal officers of monotechnics.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the minister had, earlier in his speech, directed the institutions not to admit candidates under 18.

The minister’s comments drew loud grumbles from the audience consisting mainly of heads of tertiary institutions, registrars, and their admission officers.

But the minister said it was a matter of law and policies, adding it does not require his comments as it was a provision of Nigeria’s policy on education.

“JAMB is hereby instructed from admission this year to admit only eligible students. That is those who have attained 18 years by our laws,” he had said.

“Our laws require students to be in school from six years —Yes, there are those who do that from five—, and remain in primary school for six years, basic education for three years, and secondary school for three years… It doesn’t require a statement of the minister… we are only restating what is in the law,” he added.

Minister bows to pressure

However, while considering the memorandum for the 2024 policy meeting on this year’s admissions, heated arguments ensued over the minister’s directive on underage admissions.

The representative of Elizade University moved the motion for objection.

He called for the adoption of 16 years as many of those categorised underage candidates have already taken the UTME without anticipating the directive.

But the JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, who convened the meeting said it was not a new policy or directive.

The minister, however, agreed that candidates from the age of 16 be admitted and the meeting approved it.

“For practical reasons, we will go with that,” Mr Mamman said, finally drawing applause and cheers from the audience.