FG declares 16 as the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria, warns institutions against bypassing CAPS during admissions

The Federal Government has officially declared 16 years as the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

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Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made the announcement on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Abuja.

Dr Alausa, while opening the annual session, stated that the age benchmark is now formal, binding, and non-negotiable for all higher institutions, including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

He also warned that any admission conducted outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) would be deemed illegal and void.

“No institution is permitted to carry out admissions outside CAPS. Any such action will be considered a violation and treated as a criminal offence,” he said.

The minister stressed that heads of institutions found engaging in admission fraud or attempting to bypass CAPS would face prosecution.

The annual policy meeting serves to establish unified admission guidelines for the forthcoming academic session across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.