JAMB Registrar: ‘Some Universities Admit Students as Young as 10’

In a startling revelation, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has uncovered a disturbing trend of universities admitting underage students, some as young as 10 years old, in clear violation of the legal age limit for tertiary education in Nigeria.

During JAMB’s recent policy meeting in Abuja, Oloyede highlighted that institutions like the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) have set a minimum admission age of 16. However, he revealed instances where universities have flouted these rules, admitting students significantly younger than the accepted age limit of 18.

One alarming case involved a Nigerian student who graduated from a local university at the age of 15 and later applied for a master’s degree in Germany. The candidate’s application for the Erasmus Scholarship programme, an EU initiative, raised eyebrows due to her young age. The selection committee in Germany contacted Nigeria to verify the student’s academic history, which showed she began university at 12 and graduated at 15.

Oloyede expressed his embarrassment over the situation, revealing that JAMB had not admitted the candidate due to her age, but the university had proceeded with her registration nonetheless. He warned that such practices could lead to increased scrutiny and potential discrimination against Nigerian graduates in the future.

“We found that JAMB never admitted the candidate because she was underage. The university admitted and registered the candidate. I couldn’t respond to the EU because I was embarrassed. I didn’t know what to write,” Oloyede admitted.

In response to these issues, JAMB has introduced new regulations to enforce proper age compliance, setting the admissible score for university entry at 140 and for polytechnics at 100. Oloyede’s disclosures have sparked a broader conversation about maintaining the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s higher education system.