Scrap JAMB Age Limit: Parents Urge FG to Act

Worried parents in Ekiti State, organised as the Coalition of Concerned Parents, Students, and Stakeholders, have called on the Federal Government to reconsider the age restriction policy for those seeking admission into tertiary institutions.

These concerned parents expressed their views in a letter directed to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, which was signed by Adeniran Samuel and Omotayo Omokayode and shared with journalists in Ado Ekiti on Sunday.

They requested that the minister leverage his position and moral influence to grant a waiver for all qualified candidates who passed the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board examination in 2025, irrespective of their age, stating, “Order JAMB to eliminate the portal restrictions hindering these candidates from securing admission.”

They criticised the policy, arguing that it has severely impacted the future prospects of young Nigerians.

JAMB has started enforcing the policy that mandates only candidates who will be 16 years old by August 2025 to gain admission into tertiary institutions.

The implementation of this policy has met with disapproval from numerous parents and guardians who are demanding its reversal.

It is important to note that a pressure group, the Movement against JAMB Injustice, comprised of concerned parents, recently held protests at both the JAMB office in Lagos and the Ministry of Education, labelling the age limit policy in Nigeria as unconstitutional and calling for its immediate removal.

Parents in Ekiti State labelled the policy as “a breach of Section 18(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” which protects every Nigerian citizen from discrimination based on birth circumstances, gender, community, religion, or other factors.

“The JAMB policy constitutes discrimination based on birth circumstances (being born just a few months later) by excluding talented students from higher education while permitting older, less qualified peers to enter. Regardless of how reasonable JAMB’s explanations may seem, the policy is constitutionally invalid if it obstructs equal opportunities or discriminates against these young individuals.

“It is important to remember the ruling of the Delta State High Court, which annulled JAMB’s previous directive regarding underage admissions.

“With the significant failure rate in the 2025 JAMB examination, it is profoundly unjust for JAMB to exclude deserving aspirants who scored over 70 percent merely due to their age.

“This policy consequently penalises a specific group of high achievers, denying them admission despite their outstanding academic results in a test where only a mere 7 per cent of all examinees achieved scores of 250 or above.

“Admission criteria should be based on merit rather than an arbitrary age limitation, which unfairly advantages older applicants who scored 150, the minimum cutoff for universities, over these capable students,” the concerned parents remarked.

They urged the minister to “promote a gradual implementation of any age policy, starting from entry into primary or junior secondary schooling, rather than at the crucial point of secondary education, where students’ futures are at stake.”

“Sir, your lifelong dedication to equity, justice, and education has made a significant impact on the lives of individuals and institutions in Nigeria.

“The children in question are not seeking special treatment; they are merely requesting not to be penalised for achieving excellence at an early age. Refusing them admission today diminishes their hope, undermines their morale, and unjustly punishes their intelligence.

“This issue extends beyond education; it involves fairness, constitutional rights, and the future of Nigeria’s most talented individuals.

“We trust that your wise and principled intervention at this critical moment can restore fairness, justice, and empathy to this situation,” stated the concerned parents.