By Felix Khanoba
The Federal Government has pegged the minimum age for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions at 16 years, while the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved 150 as the minimum cut-off score for university admission for the 2025/2026 academic session.
This was one of the key outcomes of the 2025 JAMB Policy Meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The session was chaired by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and attended by Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, and other critical stakeholders in the education sector.
For admission into polytechnics and colleges of education, the minimum Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) score was fixed at 100, while colleges of nursing will accept a minimum score of 140.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Ish-aq Oloyede, disclosed the new benchmarks, noting that the figures represent a consensus by all stakeholders involved.
At the meeting, Oloyede also announced that Lagos State University (LASU), the University of Lagos (UNILAG), and the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) topped the list of most sought-after institutions for the current admission cycle.
In addition, JAMB revealed the top scorers in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Okeke Chinedu Christian from Anambra State emerged as the highest scorer with 375 out of 400 and applied to study Mechanical Engineering at UNILAG. He was followed closely by Ayuba Simon-Peter John from Gombe State, who scored 374 and chose Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), also for Mechanical Engineering. Jimoh Abdulmalik Olayinka from Kwara State came third with a score of 373, selecting UNILAG as his preferred institution for the same course.
During his remarks, Alausa confirmed the Federal Government’s decision on the entry age for tertiary education.
He said: “The issue of age at entry has generated much debate, but our position is clear. The entry age for admission is now officially pegged at 16 years.”
He explained that while exceptions may be made in certain circumstances—such as for gifted students or those with accelerated academic progression—such cases must be properly documented.
Alausa cautioned institutions against falsifying age records to meet the criteria.
“Appropriate sanctions would be applied to institutions found in violation,” he warned, adding that the new age requirement is non-negotiable.
The AUTHORITY reports that the 2025 Policy Meeting also served as a forum to review admission procedures and enhance collaboration between regulatory bodies and tertiary institutions across the country.
