The Federal Government has announced that candidates below 18 years of age will no longer be permitted to sit for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination starting from 2025. This decision was confirmed by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during an interview with Channels TV in Abuja on Sunday.
Prof. Mamman emphasized that the decision is in line with Nigeria’s existing education policy, which sets the minimum age for university admission at 18 years. He explained that the government is giving parents and students advanced notice of the policy change by allowing candidates under 18 to write the JAMB exam in 2024.
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Age Limit for JAMB 2025
The Minister clarified that the minimum age requirement for writing the JAMB exam has always been 18 years, but that enforcement had been lax in previous years. He stressed that the new age restriction is not a new policy, but rather a re-enforcement of the existing rules.
“What we did at the JAMB meeting was to allow this year to serve as a kind of notice for parents that JAMB will admit students below 18 years this year. But from next year, JAMB will insist that anybody applying to a university in Nigeria must meet the required age, which is 18,” Mamman said.
He further explained that if the educational journey of a student is calculated from daycare to primary and secondary school, the average age for completing this cycle would be 17 and a half years, meaning they would be 18 by the time they are ready for university.
Underage Candidates Won’t Be Allowed to Write NECO, WAEC
In addition to the new JAMB policy, Prof. Mamman also revealed that underage students would no longer be allowed to write the National Examination Council (NECO) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams unless they have completed the required years of schooling. This decision reinforces the government’s emphasis on the quality of education and ensures that students spend adequate time at each level of education.
“It’s not about the age of the students, but rather about the number of years spent in school. Students who have not spent the required number of years in daycare, primary, and secondary school will not be allowed to take NECO or WAEC,” he added.
Exceptions for Genius Students
Responding to concerns about exceptionally bright students who might complete their education earlier than others, the Minister noted that there is room for creating special opportunities for such students. However, he warned that Nigeria’s educational system must be cautious about the potential for this exception to be exploited by the majority of students.
“It’s legitimate to consider how to accommodate smart children, as is done in other countries, but in Nigeria, we have to be careful because what is intended as a window for a few can often become a door for everyone,” Prof. Mamman explained.
What This Means for Students and Parents
This announcement comes after the Federal Government previously attempted to enforce the age restriction in 2024, only to withdraw it after widespread criticism from parents and students. The government has now clarified that the policy will be strictly enforced from 2025 onward, giving parents and students ample time to prepare for the change.
The age limit policy aims to ensure that students are mature enough by the time they enter university, aligning Nigeria with global educational standards. Students seeking admission into tertiary institutions in 2024 will still be allowed to write JAMB, even if they are under 18, but the window for this exemption closes after this year.
What You Should Know
- From 2025, only candidates aged 18 and above will be allowed to write the JAMB exam.
- Underage students will also be barred from sitting for NECO and WAEC unless they have completed the required years of schooling.
- The policy is not new but a re-enforcement of Nigeria’s existing educational guidelines.
- There may be provisions for exceptionally bright students in the future, but these will be carefully regulated to avoid misuse.
This new directive signals a firm stance by the government to ensure that all students meet the proper educational and age requirements before entering tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Does prof. Mamman does he no how many students will be left at home with nothing to do okay if he enforce this law is there a guarantee that there will be job opportunities. Does he know that many students who are under 18 will not have any urge to go school once they reach the suitable age so prof.mamman you have to sit down and re think about your decision because me too am also a student who’s parents are depending on and if I don’t go to school now my parents might not have the urge to take me to school again so please you should give your decision second thought please Mr mamman
Yes,is,true,oh