JAMB Extends Admission Age Limit to August 2025: What You Need to Know

In response to public concerns, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has extended the minimum admission age limit for Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions. The new age requirement now allows candidates who will turn 16 by August 31, 2025, to be considered for admission into the 2024/2025 academic session.

Previously, the minimum age for admission was set at 16 years old, as determined during the 2024 Policy Meeting. Initially, the cut-off date for eligible candidates was fixed at December 31, 2024. However, this decision sparked widespread debate among parents and education stakeholders, who voiced varying opinions on the impact of the deadline on younger candidates.

In a statement released on Thursday by JAMB’s Public Relations Officer, Fabian Benjamin, the board clarified that the new adjustment comes in response to institutions that extend their admission periods up to July 2025. As a result, candidates turning 16 by August 31, 2025, are now eligible for admission, provided they meet the academic requirements of their chosen institutions.

The statement emphasized that this move was made to ensure fairness for all candidates. “This effort is to ensure equity because those whose 2024 admission would last till August 2025 would not be unduly favoured,” said JAMB. The board also noted that institutions still have the autonomy to maintain their own admission policies. Universities that prefer to enforce a December 31, 2024, cut-off for the age requirement can choose to do so.

The decision is expected to ease tensions and provide clarity for candidates and institutions alike as the 2024/2025 admission process unfolds.