Nigerian Government Sets 16 as Minimum Age for University Admission

The Federal Government has officially set 16 years as the minimum age for admission into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the directive on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Abuja. According to The Punch, he stated that the age requirement is “non-negotiable.”

He warned that any admission carried out outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) would be considered illegal. Heads of institutions involved in such practices will be held accountable and may face prosecution.

Alausa said the government is determined to sanitise the admission process. He added that strict compliance with the rules will now be enforced across all institutions. The age limit follows months of debate around the appropriate entry age for higher education.

JAMB had earlier announced that only candidates who would turn 16 by August 2025 would be eligible for the 2024/2025 academic session. That decision followed a directive from the Ministry of Education, which initially proposed 18 as the minimum age for participation. JAMB later made a one-time exception for candidates applying that year.

In October 2024, the Delta State High Court in Warri issued an interim order stopping JAMB from enforcing its 16-year age policy. The decision came after a suit filed by former NBA Warri chairman, John Aikpokpo-Martins. He acted on behalf of candidates born between September 1 and December 31, 2009, who had passed the 2024 UTME but were disqualified due to the age rule.

Justice Anthony Akpovi granted all the interim reliefs sought by the claimant. He stopped JAMB from enforcing the policy and allowed one of the affected students, Angel Aikpokpo Martins, to retain her admission and continue schooling while the case is heard.

The FG’s new policy confirms that 16 is now the permanent benchmark. Despite previous backlash, the government says the policy will ensure emotional readiness for tertiary education. However, education advocates note that admission should be based on academic ability, not age.

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