JAMB and the Debate on Underage Candidates in Nigeria

The more efforts JAMB has put into addressing the problem of underage candidates taking the university entrance exam, the more it has become entangled in extensive regulation. Following an incident involving a very young graduate who gained university admission at an absurdly young age, the former education minister, Tahir Mamman, decided one day to raise the university admission age to 18. This decision carried significant implications that the minister appeared not to have considered, leading him to retract it under pressure.

In a previous article, I questioned how many of these “underage” candidates take the UTME and pass sufficiently to advance to university and how they compare to their older counterparts in terms of coping with the challenges of higher education. Without presenting us with statistics, how can we be sure that there’s a genuine problem? They are back at it again this year.

This time, “underage” candidates are required to achieve a minimum UTME score of 320 out of 400 (80 percent), attain at least 80 percent in a single sitting of WAEC or NECO (equivalent to 24 points out of 30), and score no less than 80 percent in the post-UTME. Even if they satisfy all these conditions, they will still undergo evaluation by a national screening committee in Abuja, Lagos, and Owerri.

As JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede stated, they will no longer tolerate the “academic abuse” of placing psychologically and emotionally unprepared youths into the demanding world of university education. With all due respect, when did it become JAMB’s responsibility to conduct such assessments? At this rate, they might even create a monitoring body to ensure that those admitted do not leave their hostels without properly ironed clothes.

What defines emotional and psychological readiness is quite subjective and should be more appropriately assessed by those who have had extended interactions with the candidates, such as their school counselors and teachers. Furthermore, Oloyede indicated that their goal is to strengthen the system to ensure that only deserving candidates are chosen. However, the 599 candidates (from the two million who took the test) who met these stringent criteria have already demonstrated their capabilities. Why subject them to further evaluations?

I want to make it clear that I do not support admitting anyone younger than 18 into a tertiary institution. Therefore, this is not an endorsement of the so-called underage candidates. As I have expressed in previous articles, the underage candidate issue is fundamentally a result of educational privatization; parents are motivated to find ways to manipulate the system. The uncertainties of life in Nigeria also lead parents to hasten their children’s education to counter the numerous, time-consuming challenges present in the social landscape. These complex matters require systemic solutions rather than merely addressing the symptoms.

Now, after parents have invested significant resources in three entrance exams, they are still required to spend even more to transport their children to Lagos, Abuja, or Owerri for an additional examination. There should be less cumbersome alternatives for dissuading under-16s from pursuing university admission. JAMB should not overextend its responsibilities in the admissions process or encroach upon the territories that ideally belong to individual families and the universities that admit these students. Additionally, the terms “under-16” or “underage” encompass such a wide range that it remains unclear whether they refer to 13-year-olds or those who are merely two months shy of their 16th birthday.

The lack of statistics regarding graduation and dropout rates in Nigerian universities hinders our ability to reasonably conclude that there is a widespread issue of undergraduates struggling with the demands of higher education.

If this is indeed a real concern, it should be approached through structural reforms by enforcing the standard age for school enrollment. If the current guideline that children should begin primary education at age six is outdated, a new policy should be established and uniformly implemented.

Any child who has not reached the age of six by the start of the school year in September should defer enrollment until the next year. Private institutions should not undermine this objective with the misleading practice of “double promotion,” which allows children to bypass grades. Every child should complete a minimum of five years in primary education before advancing to secondary school at the ages of 11 or 12. Secondary schools should also refrain from admitting students younger than 11 by the same September start date. Furthermore, this change does not need to be immediate; a future date, such as September 2027, can be set for the implementation to give stakeholders ample time to adapt.

Another structural issue is that several Nigerian schools have simplified the notion of educational success to simply mastering textbooks.

Even JAMB reflects this issue in its criteria for “underage” candidates. Education should prioritize examination scores significantly more.

When attempting to enroll a child in an average private primary or secondary institution, school owners impress you with the quantity of subjects students are required to study.

If you inquire about extracurricular activities, such as sports, you’ll discover the school lacks a proper playground.

There is typically an absence of debating societies or arts clubs focused on literature, music, visual art, dance, and other creative activities that help children develop essential skills during their formative years and broaden their learning experiences.

While there are traditional dances that students learn, these are often confined to year-end events where parents give them money.

This activity is largely about impressing rather than fostering holistic development by cultivating skills in teamwork, organization, time management, creativity, and technical abilities, all of which contribute to more innovative forms of learning.

This is where the education minister should be advocating for immediate reforms instead of assisting JAMB in pushing a bureaucratic agenda.

There should be more extensive extracurricular options to engage the energies of talented students so they don’t become overly focused on mere technical skills and miss the chance to develop complementary abilities.

Of course, there will be exceptional students who may not fit into the traditional curriculum. These students are the genius types, but they are uncommon. A lot of what we label as “genius” in Nigeria consists of ordinary bright kids who need to be adequately challenged within the typical educational system, rather than being hastily routed to university. Geniuses exhibit extraordinary capabilities, and the unique paths they may choose in life do not necessarily have to include university.

Ultimately, we must recognize that, despite our best efforts, some students will struggle and sadly may drop out of school entirely. Even in societies where students are admitted to university as adults, individuals sometimes fall behind due to the demands of university life, a lack of interest in their selected field, or other personal circumstances.

Neither JAMB nor the education ministry has clearly explained to us the specific ways in which “underage” candidates face challenges in Nigerian tertiary institutions, beyond a general assumption about the effects of youth. There are numerous reasons why students have difficulties in tertiary establishments, and age is merely one factor. Those who face challenges may do so for reasons other than their age. The intense focus on their birthdates might be causing JAMB and its partners to overlook the real issues. Before expanding bureaucratic measures, perhaps they should invest time in thoroughly investigating the problem.