JAMB Revises Admission Age Policy, Extends 16-Year Limit to 2025

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has extended the minimum admission age limit of 16 years for Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions to August 31, 2025. This decision follows widespread reactions from parents and concerned citizens after an earlier announcement that candidates must be 16 by December 31, 2024, to be eligible for the 2024/2025 academic session.

JAMB made the announcement on Thursday, clarifying that institutions with extended admission periods into 2025 can admit candidates who will turn 16 by the new cut-off date. The extension comes after deliberations at the 2024 Policy Meeting, where the minimum age of 16 years was initially set for the 2024/25 session.

Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s Public Relations Officer, explained that the change was made to maintain fairness for candidates whose admissions extend into 2025, adding that institutions can still enforce stricter age requirements if they choose.

“This effort is to ensure equity because those whose 2024 admission would last till August 2025 would not be unduly favoured,” the statement noted.