Ekiti parents reject age restriction on varsity admission

Concerned parents in Ekiti State, under the aegis of Coalition of Concerned Parents, Students and Stakeholders, have appealed to the Federal Government to reverse the age restriction policy for those seeking admission into tertiary institutions.

The concerned parents made the position known in a letter signed by Adeniran Samuel and Omotayo Omokayode, made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Sunday.

In the letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, they held that the policy has “deeply affected the future of young Nigerians.”

They appealed to the minister to cause a waiver for all qualified students who passed Joint Admission and Matriculation Board examination in 2025, regardless of age.

Direct JAMB to remove the portal restrictions preventing these candidates from processing admission” the letter read.

JAMB has begun implementation of the policy stipulating that only candidates who are 16 years old by August 2025 would be admitted to tertiary institutions.

Recall that a pressure group, the Movement against JAMB Injustice, comprising concerned parents recently protested at JAMB office in Lagos and the Ministry of Education, describing the age limit policy in Nigeria as unconstitutional and should be discarded forthwith.

The concerned parents in Ekiti State described the policy as “violation of Section 18(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees the right of every Nigerian citizen to freedom from discrimination based on circumstances of birth, sex, community, religion, or other status.

The letter further read, “The JAMB policy amounts to discrimination based on circumstance of birth (being born a few months later), by excluding brilliant students from access to higher education, while admitting older, less qualified peers. No matter how plausible the justification JAMB provides, it is constitutionally void if it denies equal opportunity or discriminates against these children.

“It is worth recalling the judgment of the Delta State High Court, which declared JAMB’s earlier directive on underage admissions null and void.”

They further argued, “Given the high rate of failure in the 2025 JAMB examination, it is deeply unfair for JAMB to disqualify deserving candidates who scored above 70 per cent solely because of their age. This policy effectively penalises a select group of high achievers, denying them admission despite their exceptional academic performance, in an exam where only a minuscule seven per cent of all candidates managed to score 250 or higher.

“The criteria for admission should be merit, not an arbitrary age restriction, which gives older applicants who scored 150, the cutoff for universities, an edge over them.”

They urged the minister to “encourage phased implementation of any age policy, beginning from entry into primary or junior secondary school, not at the terminal point of secondary education, where students’ futures hang in the balance.”

They further argued, “Sir, your lifelong commitment to fairness, justice, and education has transformed lives and institutions in Nigeria. These children are not asking for undue advantage; they are simply asking not to be punished for excelling early. Denying them admission today dims their hope, weakens their morale, and unfairly penalises their brilliance.

This matter is not merely about education, it is about fairness, constitutional rights and the future of Nigeria’s brightest minds. We believe your fatherly and principled voice at this crucial moment can restore balance, justice, and compassion in this matter.”