The Federal Government has officially fixed 16 years as the minimum age for admission into all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, during the 2025 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) held in Abuja on Tuesday.

Declaring the policy non-negotiable, Alausa stressed that institutions must comply with the age requirement moving forward. He also warned that any admission conducted outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) would be deemed illegal and subject to nullification.

The minister further cautioned that institutional heads who engage in admission fraud or attempt to bypass CAPS would face prosecution under the law. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring transparency and integrity in the tertiary admissions process.

The annual JAMB policy meeting sets the framework for admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education for the upcoming academic session. This year’s decisions are aimed at curbing underage entry and standardizing admission practices nationwide.