The Federal Government, through the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has overturned the previous policy that set the minimum admission age at 18 years for tertiary institutions.
This change, announced by Dr. Alausa at his inaugural press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, lowers the benchmark to 16 years, with special provisions for exceptionally gifted students.
Dr. Alausa explained that the original 18-year requirement stemmed from the design of the National Policy on Education but will no longer be part of current policy.
“We will revert to a 16-year admission age and will be meeting with JAMB and other stakeholders to implement this change,” he said.
In addition, Dr. Alausa addressed the ministry’s stance on certificates obtained from institutions in Benin Republic and Togo, confirming that the policy restricting these certificates will continue as part of efforts to reduce the presence of fake qualifications in the education system.
Dr. Alausa also emphasized the ministry’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s out-of-school children problem.
He highlighted a plan to work with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs on conditional cash transfers to encourage school enrollment.
Additionally, he announced the introduction of nutritional programs aimed at supporting students’ health and advancing human capital development.
The briefing also served as an official welcome for Dr. Alausa and the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Suwaiba Ahmad, led by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Nasiru Sani-Gwarzo.