Tinubu makes u-turn on 2024 admission into higher institutions

• President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has accepted that the minimum wage for the 2024 admission would be 16 years
• Tinubu's minister of education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, at a stakeholder meeting organised by JAMB, said the government has pegged the admission age to 18
• However, the announcement was rejected by the stakeholders, but the minister later accepted that the 2024 admission should be pegged at 16 years

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, sparked controversy at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) policy meeting by announcing that only candidates aged 18 and above would be eligible for admission into tertiary institutions.

Mamman's announcement was met with protests and rowdiness from stakeholders and attendees, who disagreed with the minister's stance.

FG announces minimum age for admission seekers Photo Credit: @ProfTahirMamman
Source: Twitter

What is the JAMB policy meeting?

The JAMB policy meeting is an annual event that sets the tone for the admission exercise and guidelines for tertiary institutions.

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The minister's declaration was seen as a departure from the traditional age requirement of 16 years old for admission into tertiary institutions.

JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, intervened to calm the situation and explained that the law requires children to attend school for 12 years before admission.

JAMB admission: Minister accepts stakeholders' suggestions

However, the minister later accepted the stakeholders' suggestions to allow candidates aged 16 and above to be eligible for admission for the 2024 academic year.

The minister emphasized that the law requiring candidates to be at least 18 years old for admission would be fully implemented next year.

The stakeholders' pushback and the minister's eventual acceptance of their suggestions highlight the ongoing debate around the appropriate age requirement for tertiary education admission in Nigeria.

JAMB earlier in May conducted the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) exercise at different centres in the country.

Source: Legit.ng