The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced on Thursday that candidates under the age of 18 will no longer be eligible for admission into tertiary institutions.
News About Nigeria reports that this new directive will be effective starting with the 2024 admissions cycle.
The announcement was made during the 2024 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), where Prof. Mamman conveyed the enforcement of this age restriction.
“JAMB is hereby notified that there is now a ban on underaged students, those under the age of 18, entering our tertiary institutions from this 2024 admissions,” Mamman declared.
In addition to this new age policy, Prof. Mamman revealed that the Federal Government is considering setting 18 years as the minimum age requirement for entry into universities and other tertiary educational institutions.
This is to ensure that students are adequately prepared, both academically and socially for the demands of higher education.
Furthermore, Prof. Mamman announced the introduction of a new curriculum for secondary schools across the country, set to be implemented by September 2024.
This curriculum overhaul has been in the works for the past year and will be finalised following a stakeholder meeting scheduled for August 6, 2024.
“We are working hard to ensure that a new curriculum is introduced for secondary schools by September. It is our plan that by September, this programme will be implemented in all schools, public and private,” the minister stated.
The National Senior Secondary School Education Commission has previously highlighted several challenges facing the secondary education sector, including infrastructural deficits, unqualified teachers, outdated curricula, and inadequate library and laboratory facilities.
