The Federal Government has insisted that candidates must be 18 years old before they are admitted into tertiary institutions.
Education Minister Tahir Mamman made this known when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
He added that the Federal Government has also instructed the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, and the National Examinations Council, NECO, not to allow underage children to write their examinations.
According to the Minister, no candidate will sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) unless they are 18 years.
“It is 18 (years). What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB (in July) was to allow this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents that this year, JAMB will admit students who are below that age but from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age, which is 18.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a new policy; this is a policy that has been there for a long time.
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