The federal government has implemented a minimum age requirement of 18 years for admission to tertiary institutions.

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, announced the policy during a visit to monitor the ongoing 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory.

He expressed concern over the trend of parents urging their underage children to seek admission into higher education institutions.
The minister emphasized that the new minimum age aligns with the 6-3-3-4 educational structure in Nigeria.

“The minimum age for university entry is 18, but we’ve observed candidates as young as 15 or 16 taking the entrance exams.
“Parents should be discouraged from pushing their children too hard. Often, parental pressure leads to this trend.

“We are examining this issue because these candidates might be too young to fully understand university education,” he said.

The minister also touched upon the importance of skills acquisition for those who do not enter tertiary education.