The ban on admitting students under eighteen to tertiary institutions, previously announced by Minister of Education Tahir Mamman, has been reversed.
This reversal followed strong protests from Vice Chancellors and other stakeholders at the 2024 Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) policy meeting in Abuja.
It was agreed that the policy will be enforced at a later, yet to be determined, date.
For the 2024 academic year, candidates who are 16 years old will be allowed admission into tertiary institutions, but from the next academic year, the minimum entry age will be set to 18 years.
Earlier, Professor Mamman had announced that candidates under eighteen would no longer be admitted to tertiary institutions in Nigeria, in compliance with Nigerian law prohibiting underage admissions.
He emphasized that no one under 18 should be recommended for admission and that this guideline must be strictly adhered to.
Meanwhile, JAMB has announced the official cut-off marks for the 2024 admission exercise into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The minimum score is set at 140 for university admissions and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education, as agreed at the policy meeting chaired by Minister Mamman and attended by education sector stakeholders.