The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, has waived the 18 years benchmark for admission into tertiary institutions.
Earlier at an ongoing policy meeting organised by the Joint Admission Matriculations Board (JAMB) in Abuja, Mamman had announced that only applicants who were 18 years and above were eligible for admission.
The statement by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, sparked controversy among stakeholders in tertiary institutions across the country. His remarks led to immediate uproar in the hall, with the attendees reacting negatively.
In an attempt to calm the situation, Mamman asked, “Are we together?” The crowd responded with a resounding “No!” It was only through the intervention of JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, that order was restored.
Addressing the concerns of the participants, Mamman emphasized that the law requires children to be in school at 18 years of age, following six years in primary school, three years in junior secondary school, and three years in senior secondary school. He underscored that the meeting aimed to ensure the admission process for 2024/2025 was fair.
The Minister reiterated that the Federal Ministry of Education’s position remains unchanged: any institution conducting admissions outside the Central Application Process (CAP) is in violation of the proper procedures.
One participant, who wished to remain anonymous, voiced their opposition: “That is not possible. How can a child finish school, pass WAEC and JAMB, and be denied admission?”
In response to the stakeholders’ suggestions, the Minister later agreed that students aged 16 and above would be eligible for this year’s admission, with the new law applying from next year onwards.
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