The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, has called out several Nigerian universities for admitting students as young as ten years old, violating the established age limit for admission seekers.
In his annual report, Oloyede highlighted that while the minimum age for admission is 18, some universities, like UNILAG and OAU, do not accept students younger than 16. However, he noted that other institutions are admitting children as young as ten. He cited an example of a candidate born in 2007 who started university at 12 and graduated at 15, which raised concerns during her application for an Erasmus Scholarship in Germany.
"The country found it strange that a candidate was born in 2007 and started university at 12 years. The EU selection committee questioned us about this and the implications could lead to stricter scrutiny for Nigerian graduates," Oloyede said.
JAMB has also set new cut-off marks for admissions: 140 for universities and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education. This announcement was made during the 2024 JAMB Policy meeting in Abuja, attended by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, vice-chancellors, rectors, registrars of higher institutions, and other stakeholders.
During the meeting, the Minister of Education directed that candidates under the age of 18 should not be admitted to tertiary institutions. This directive aims to address concerns about parents pressuring their underage children to gain early admission.
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