Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced that from 2025, JAMB will not allow candidates under 18 to take the exam. This decision aligns with the existing policy that requires students to be at least 18 to qualify for university admission.
In an interview with Channels TV on Sunday in Abuja, Prof. Mamman explained that this policy is not new but will be strictly enforced He added that this year, students under 18 will be allowed to take the JAMB exam. This decision gives parents and students advance notice and time to adjust to the upcoming changes.
“Nothing has changed. It is still 18 years,” the Minister stated. “What we did at the JAMB meeting was to allow this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents that this year, JAMB will admit students below 18 years. But from next year, JAMB will insist anybody going to apply to university in Nigeria meets the required age, which is 18.”
Prof. Mamman explained the policy rationale. By the time students finish daycare, primary, and secondary school, they should be about 17 and a half years old, ready for university. “By the time the school is ready for admission, you have the age,” he said.
The Minister announced that students must complete the required minimum years in school to take the NECO and WAEC exams. He emphasized that a child needs to spend at least 17.5 years in the educational system to be eligible for these exams. This policy aims to ensure students spend sufficient time in education, not just meet the age requirement.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, announced that starting in 2025, they will ban candidates under 18 from taking the JAMB exam. This decision aligns with the policy that students must be 18 or older to qualify for university admission.
