Wisdom Engraced
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Parents, students, and stakeholders in Ekiti State, under the banner of the Coalition of Concerned Parents, have called on the Federal Government to reverse the age restriction policy recently introduced for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
In a letter signed by Adeniran Samuel and Omotayo Omokayode and addressed to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the group expressed strong opposition to the rule, stressing that it has “deeply affected the future of young Nigerians”.
They urged the minister to provide a waiver for all qualified students who successfully passed the 2025 Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, irrespective of age. The letter read: “Direct JAMB to remove the portal restrictions preventing these candidates from processing admission.”
The policy, which JAMB has already begun implementing, stipulates that only candidates who turn 16 years old by August 2025 will be eligible for admission.
The parents condemned the move as unconstitutional, insisting that it violated provisions of the 1999 Constitution. They described the policy as a “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 added: “The JAMB policy amounts to discrimination based on the 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 judgement of the Delta State High Court, which declared JAMB’s earlier directive on underage admissions null and void.
They further argued that the policy punishes high-performing candidates who excelled in the examination. “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.”
The group urged the minister to consider a gradual approach if such a policy must be retained. “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.”
Appealing directly to the minister’s sense of fairness, they wrote: “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.”
The protest by Ekiti parents follows a similar demonstration in Lagos by the Movement against JAMB Injustice, which had earlier described the policy as unconstitutional and called for its immediate scrapping.
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