The Federal Government has set 16 as the minimum age for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
This decision was announced by Minister of Education Tunji Alausa during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions in Abuja.
He said that the 16-year age requirement would be enforced through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), accommodating candidates who turn 16 by August 31, 2025.
However, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has expressed concerns that some institutions have violated this directive by admitting underage candidates outside CAPS and collecting substantial tuition fees from them.
JAMB said that such admissions were illegal and could be processed through CAPS, with some cases leading to litigation against offending institutions.
In a related development, JAMB has introduced a new policy where each candidate’s result slip wouldl include their national ranking among peers.
This initiative aimed to discourage the celebration of high scores in isolation and curb fake scores.
The ranking would provide institutions with a standardised reference point to evaluate applicants’ quality and academic standing.
JAMB emphasised its commitment to equity, transparency, and merit-based admissions in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
