ABUJA —

The Federal Government of Nigeria has formally established 16 years as the minimum age requirement for admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during the 2025 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) held on Tuesday in Abuja.

Age Policy Now Official and Binding

Declaring the meeting open, Dr. Alausa stressed that the 16-year age benchmark is now official, non-negotiable, and must be adhered to by all tertiary institutions. He added that any admission conducted outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) would be regarded as illegal and void.

• “The entry age for admission into tertiary institutions is now officially pegged at 16 years,” Alausa said. “This policy reflects a careful balance between academic preparedness and cognitive maturity.”

The new directive marks a revision of the earlier 18-year minimum age policy proposed in 2024 under former Education Minister Tahir Mamman, which sparked backlash from parents and education stakeholders.

Exceptions Only for Gifted or Accelerated Learners

While enforcing the policy, the Education Minister acknowledged that there could be rare exceptions, particularly for gifted children or candidates with accelerated academic progress.

“Such exceptions must be clearly demonstrated, well-documented, and fully justified. No institution should abuse this clause,” he cautioned.

FG Warns Against Age Falsification and CAPS Violation

Dr. Alausa also warned parents, candidates, and institutions against manipulating birth records to circumvent the age policy. He declared that institutions or individuals caught altering age documents would face strict sanctions.

“The ministry is resolute. Any attempt to beat the system through forgery or manipulation will not be tolerated,” he said.

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Furthermore, he warned that heads of institutions who bypass CAPS or engage in admission malpractice would be prosecuted under existing laws.

Background and Stakeholder Reactions

In 2024, the FG initially set the minimum entry age at 18, citing concerns about maturity. However, after extensive pushback from stakeholders—including private school proprietors and parents of early starters—the government reviewed the decision and settled on 16 years as a compromise.

The annual JAMB Policy Meeting plays a key role in determining national guidelines for tertiary admissions across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Nigeria.

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