- Safiu Kehinde
The Minister for Education, Tahir Mamman, has reaffirmed 18 years eligibility requirement for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination starting from 2025.
Mamman declared this at an interview session broadcasted yesterday.
Speaking on the minimum age for candidates applying for admission, the education minister harped on the need for candidates to fulfill the standard system for basic education before being legible to apply for JAMB.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a new policy. This is a policy that has been there for a long time. Basically, if you compute the number of years learners are supposed to be in school, the number you will end up with us seventeen and half.
“What we did at the meeting with JAMB was to allow this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents that look, this year JAMB will admit students below that age. But from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to a university in Nigeria meet the required age which is 18.
“We are not coming up with new policy contrary to what people are saying. We are just simply reminding people of what is existing.” Mamman said.
Also, the education minister stressed further that candidates prepping for Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination (SSCE), which include the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) must reach the required age as both examination body will no longer register underaged candidates.
“In any case, NECO and WAEC, from henceforth, will not be allowing underage students to write examinations.
“In other words, if somebody has not spent the required number of years in that particular level of study, WAEC and NECO will not allow them to write examination.” Mamman added.