In a surprising turn of events, the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, has rescinded an earlier directive and instructed Nigerian tertiary institutions to admit candidates from the age of 16 for the 2024 academic session.
The reversal came shortly after Mamman had initially mandated that candidates seeking admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education must be 18 years and above.
This initial pronouncement, made at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) 2024 policy meeting, had sparked strong disapproval among education stakeholders, including heads of institutions and registrars.
In response to the outcry, Mamman reaffirmed that Nigerian law stipulates children should start school at 18 years, following six years in primary school, three years in junior secondary school, and three years in senior secondary school.
However, he acceded to the appeals from stakeholders, agreeing that candidates aged 16 years and above should be considered eligible for admission this year. He clarified that the statutory age requirement of 18 years would take effect from the subsequent academic sessions.
The minister’s decision aims to balance adherence to educational laws while accommodating the practical concerns raised by education stakeholders during the policy meeting.
For further details and implementation guidelines, institutions are advised to adhere to the updated directives from the Ministry of Education regarding admissions for the 2024 academic session.