By Damilare Adeleye
The federal government has banned tertiary institutions in the country from admitting prospective students under the age of 18.
Prof. Tahir Mamman, Minister of Education, declared the ban on admission for candidates under the age of 18 into tertiary institutions across the country.
The minister made this known during the 2024 policy meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), held on Thursday.
“JAMB is hereby notified that there is now a ban on underage students, those under the age of 18 into our tertiary institutions from this 2024 admissions,” Mamman said.
The minister said that the 18-year benchmark is in line with the 6-3-3-4 system of education.
He, however, said that the Ministry of Education is extending skills training to primary school pupils who may not secure admission into tertiary institutions.
The policy will affect universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other higher institutions.
The minister announced that a newly developed curriculum will be implemented in secondary schools nationwide by September 2024.
This initiative, which has been in development for the past year, seeks to address several challenges in the education sector, including infrastructure deficits, unqualified teachers, and outdated curriculum.
In preparation for the rollout, a stakeholders’ meeting has been scheduled for August 6, 2024, to finalize preparations for the implementation of the new curriculum in all public and private secondary schools.