Abuja, Nigeria — The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has unveiled a new policy requiring underage candidates to take four additional exams before securing admission into tertiary institutions.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, announced this initiative during an inspection tour of Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. According to him, the measure is designed to ensure that only academically qualified candidates gain admission.
To implement this policy, underage candidates must sign an indemnity letter before taking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Oloyede further warned that those who fail to meet the required standards will face sanctions.
He also criticized parents who, in pursuit of personal ambitions, push their children into tertiary education prematurely. “Some parents use their children to validate selfish claims, which is not in the best interest of the education system,” Oloyede remarked.
This move follows earlier debates on the minimum age for university admission. Former Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, had mandated that candidates must be at least 18 years old before gaining entry into higher institutions. However, after widespread criticism, this policy was reversed by his successor, Professor Tunji Alausa, restoring the previous admission requirements.
JAMB’s latest policy aims to strike a balance between merit-based admission and accessibility while maintaining fairness in the nation’s education system.
By Enoch Odesola |February 10, 2025.
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