The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is about to implement the 16-year minimal entry age requirement into tertiary establishments, The Guardian can authoritatively report.
That is even because the examination physique has introduced that 201,867 candidates efficiently registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) throughout the first week of registration.
In its weekly bulletin printed on Monday, theard disclosed that the enforcement of the minimal entry age requirement into tertiary establishments is, nonetheless, with a proviso that distinctive candidates might take pleasure in waivers, even when they’re beneath 16 years, supplied they rating 80 % within the 4 examinations acknowledged in its commercial.
In response to the bulletin, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, acknowledged this at a gathering with vital stakeholders comprising Chief Exterior Examiners (CEEs), Chief Technical Advisors (CTAs), and Equal Alternative Group (EOG). Different stakeholders included Virtues Vanguard, Peace Screens, Excessive-Energy Opinion Leaders, Civil Society and Mass Media, Basic Screens, Roving Group, and the Bwari Name Centre.
The assembly with the stakeholders was to organize for the 2025 UTME registration train, evaluate previous performances, and talk about points concerning the upcoming 2025 UTME.
The Registrar identified that the nationwide minimal admissible age is 16. As such, any candidate beneath 16 years by September 2025 wouldn’t be thought-about for admission.
“That is about complying with the regulation; age has rather a lot to do with maturity by way of what you do. Age can’t be discarded. In any other case, you wouldn’t be prescribing that earlier than you possibly can change into a Native Authorities Chairman, you have to have attained a sure age, or perhaps a baby of 5 or 10 years may aspire to that workplace.
“Organic age has rather a lot to do with the event of intelligence. There are such a lot of issues which were stated, however there are exceptions to the rule, and you have to permit for such exceptions.
“The Honourable Minister of Training talked about it clearly when he assumed workplace that the minimal age for admission could be 16, however we’re additionally conscious that there are gifted youngsters, and they’re few. These gifted youngsters can’t be dismissed like that. We should establish them and permit them to take the examination.
“Now, the query is about figuring out them. There are such a lot of standards we’ll have a look at should you’re below sixteen and also you’re distinctive. First, your data ought to present that you simply’re distinctive. If you happen to take UTME, for example, and also you rating 200 out of 400, how do you name your self an distinctive candidate? However should you rating 80 %, that’s giving us a sign that, ‘Oh, this individual is admittedly distinctive’.”
He stated that any distinctive candidate have to be distinctive not by way of mere phrases however in all ramifications such that, both within the UTME, WAEC, Put up-UTME, or the GCE O/degree, he should rating at the least 80 %.
The examination physique additionally revealed that it has paid N141 million to Pc-Primarily based Check (CBT) centres for the registration performed throughout the interval.
The Guardian reviews that the UTME registration, which started on February 3, is predicted to finish on March 8, 2025.
