The Joint Admissions and Enlisting Board (JAMB) has defended its decision to maintain 16 years as the minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary organizations, insisting that the policy is rooted in existing education laws and supported by proof connecting maturity to scholastic success.
Speaking during a virtual discussion arranged by the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) on Thursday, JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said the age benchmark was not arbitrarily repaired but was based on recognized instructional frameworks and policy choices.
The dialogue, themed “2026 Admission Policy Review and JAMB Scorecard: A Discussion with the Registrar,” examined important concerns surrounding Nigeria’s tertiary admission process.
Benjamin described that the 16-year admission age aligns with provisions contained in the National Policy on Education, the Universal Basic Education structure and Nigeria’s 6-3-3-4 education system.
“We didn’t just get up one night and state it should be 16 years. If you return and look at the National Council on Education choices, the Universal Basic Education Commission Act and the National Policy on Education, you will see clearly defined age expectations for main, secondary and university education,” he stated.
The JAMB spokesman kept in mind that the board routinely reviews admission exercises and evaluates trainee performance across tertiary institutions, including that age has actually consistently emerged as a substantial factor in students’ academic and personal development.
“We operate a system where after every admission workout, we return to the drawing board and evaluate the whole process. We take a look at where the challenges are and develop policies to address them.
“We have seen over and over once again that age continues to play a significant role. Beyond academics, education is a major business. Maturity plays a substantial role in who you are, what you wish to achieve and how you attain it,” Benjamin mentioned.
While safeguarding the policy, Benjamin clarified that JAMB makes provisions for remarkably gifted prospects who demonstrate outstanding scholastic abilities.
According to him, such prospects are needed to fulfill particular efficiency thresholds before they can be considered for admission listed below the specified age.
“Yes, there are people with strange cognitive abilities. That is why there is an exception for gifted candidates. Such candidates should achieve a particular limit of efficiency before they can be thought about for admission listed below the recommended age,” he explained.
He stressed that the exception was designed to make sure that exceptionally skilled kids are not denied opportunities for academic development.
“We do not want to exclude gifted kids. If a prospect demonstrates that he or she belongs to that classification, the individual will be provided the chance,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with global practices, Benjamin noted that early academic development is normally booked for people who have actually shown extraordinary intellectual capability.
“Even in other countries, when you see a professor at an extremely young age, it is because the private demonstrated exceptional capability. However that does not imply every 12-year-old can simply acquire admission into a university,” he included.
Benjamin likewise stated a circumstances in which a university in London questioned the scholastic credentials of a Nigerian trainee because of the trainee’s unusually young age.
According to him, JAMB had to describe the scenarios surrounding the student’s academic progression after the institution expressed surprise at the prospect’s credentials.
He maintained that the 16-year age criteria would continue to guide Nigeria’s admission process while still accommodating remarkable cases.
“If, in the future, any institution asks questions about a candidate admitted listed below the recommended age, we can describe that the candidate showed remarkable capacity and satisfied the requirements set for talented students,” Benjamin said.