The Federal Government has officially established 16 years as the minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
This directive was announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), held in Abuja.
Alausa, while declaring the meeting open, stressed that the minimum age policy is now “official and non-negotiable.” He cautioned institutions against conducting admissions outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), describing any such actions as illegal and subject to sanctions.
“Any admission conducted outside CAPS will be considered illegal, and heads of institutions found circumventing this directive will be prosecuted,” the minister warned.
The JAMB policy meeting is an annual forum where stakeholders deliberate and set guidelines for admissions into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education for the upcoming academic session.
This move is expected to standardize admission procedures and curb underage enrollment into higher institutions nationwide.
