FG Reaffirms 16-Year Minimum Age For Tertiary Admissions
The Federal Government has reaffirmed that candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria must be at least 16 years old.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the enforcement of this age requirement during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held Tuesday at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) stated that the 16-year minimum age policy is being implemented through its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), with provisions made for applicants who will turn 16 by August 31, 2025.
Despite these accommodations, JAMB raised concerns that some institutions have bypassed CAPS to admit underage candidates, collecting substantial tuition fees in the process.
“The Board implemented the 16-year admissible age on CAPS and even bent backwards to include candidates who will be 16 by August 31, 2025,” JAMB noted. “However, some institutions admitted underage candidates outside CAPS and collected large sums in tuition, which is illegal.”
JAMB warned that such admissions are invalid and cannot be recognized by the CAPS system. It also revealed that some of these cases have resulted in legal action against the violating institutions.
This policy follows a controversy last year when former Education Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman attempted to raise the minimum age to 18, a move that drew strong criticism from stakeholders.
