JAMB sets age requirement for 2024/2025 university admission

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has raised concerns about a significant increase in doctored and inflated age declarations on National Identification Number (NIN) slips submitted by candidates.

The exam body has expressed alarm over the rising trend of underage candidates falsifying their ages to gain university admission, deeming it dangerous and detrimental.

JAMB has now mandated that only candidates who will be at least sixteen years old by the time of admission will be considered eligible for university entry.

According to a statement from the board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, this directive was issued by Prof. Tahir Mamman, Chairman of the 2024 tertiary admission policy meeting and Minister of Education.

The statement also noted that the current 6-3-3-4 education system will be implemented starting with the 2025 academic session.

The statement read in part, “This decision follows the discovery of widespread and problematic practices, where some institutions and candidates conspire to falsify critical details, such as backdating the year of entry and adjusting ages, to use the certificates of genuine candidates with similar names. This facilitates illegal admissions and allows fake candidates to participate in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.”