The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, a professor, has directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Nigerian tertiary institutions to admit only candidates who are 18 years and above into the tertiary institutions.
The Minister of Education, Mister Tahir Mamman, gave the directive in Abuja on Thursday at the 2024 Policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The policy meeting is a forum of critical stakeholders in the admission processes into tertiary institutions in the country including university vice-chancellors and registrars, rectors and registrars of polytechnics, provosts, and registrars of colleges of education, JAMB registrar and other officials of the examination body, among principal officers of monotechnics.
“JAMB is hereby instructed from admission this year to admit only eligible students. That is those who have attained 18 years by our laws,” the minister said as the hall erupted with grumbling.
“Our laws require students to be in school from six years —Yes, there are those who do that from five—, and remain in primary school for six years, basic education for three years, and secondary school for three years… It doesn’t require a statement of the minister… we are only restating what is in the law,” he added.
