The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Thursday, announced its decision to relax the 18-year minimum admission age for the 2024/2025 academic session.
According to the examination body, institutions can admit candidates who meet the institution’s standards and will turn 16 by August 31, 2025.
JAMB Spokesman, Fabian Benjamin disclosed this in a statement released in Abuja on Thursday.
But in a statement titled ‘Admission of candidates with minimum admissible age of 16 years’
Benjamin said, “Without compromising the standard or infringing on the individual institution’s admission policy, the Board has now decided to allow any willing institution to admit candidates who will be 16 years old by the 31st of August 2025, so long as the standards set by the institution qualify such candidates but couldn’t be admitted only because of age.
“This is without prejudice to the decision of any institution that might have on its own decided on the minimumn age of not less than 16 years, which remains sacrosanct.
“By this development, you are requested toharvest from your CAPS and send the list of candidates who would be 16 years of age between the 1st of January and the 31st of August 2025 who are eligible for admission (if any), not later than a week from the date on this letter to enable a final decision.”
He said the goal is to ensure equal opportunities by preventing disproportionate benefits for those admitted towards the end of the 2024/2025 admission period.