The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially allowed tertiary institutions to admit students who are 16 years old or will reach that age by August 2025. This decision, aimed at increasing access to higher education, was communicated in a circular signed by JAMB’s Director of Admissions, Mohammed A. Babaji.
The circular, titled ‘Admission of Candidates with Minimum Admissible Age of 16 Years,’ highlights that the 2024 Policy Meeting had previously set 16 years as the minimum age for admission for the 2024/25 academic session, with a cut-off date of December 31, 2024. However, in response to institutions whose admissions processes extend into 2025, JAMB has now adjusted this cut-off to August 31, 2025.
The board clarified, “This adjustment allows institutions to admit qualified candidates who will turn 16 by the end of August 2025, without compromising academic standards or individual admission policies.”
Additionally, institutions that prefer to maintain their own 16-year minimum age requirement within the 2024 calendar year can continue to do so. JAMB emphasized that this development aims to promote fairness, particularly for institutions with extended admissions timelines, ensuring no undue advantage for candidates admitted later in the process.
This decision follows public backlash regarding the government’s previous stance on setting the minimum admission age at 18, as announced by Education Minister Tahir Mamman.
