The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has abolished the 18-year admission benchmark for tertiary institutions in Nigeria. This change is a significant shift in the country’s education policy, which previously aimed to ensure students completed their secondary education and reached a certain level of maturity before entering university.
Key Highlights of the Minister’s Announcement:
- Abolition of 18-Year Age Limit: The minister has reversed the 18-year admission benchmark, allowing students to enter tertiary institutions at 16 years old.
- Review of Education Policy: Dr. Alausa hinted at reviewing the nation’s education policy to better address the country’s needs.
- No Reversal on Fake University Certificates: The minister emphasized that the Federal Government’s decision to void over 22,700 degree certificates obtained from “fake” universities in Togo and the Benin Republic remains unchanged.
- Practical Education and Unemployment: Dr. Alausa stressed the importance of practical education in addressing Nigeria’s unemployment situation.
- Collaboration with Private Sector: The federal government will work with private sector operators to train students and unlock their potential.
- Empowering Universities of Agriculture: Universities of agriculture will be enabled to adopt commercial farming practices to combat food insecurity.
This development follows a previous controversy surrounding the 18-year age limit, which was initially announced by Professor Tahir Mamman, the former Minister of Education, but later revised to 16 years after stakeholders’ backlash ¹.
