Education expert and Founder of Meclones Group, Ebenezer Mbamalu, has disclosed that 514 candidates who scored above 80 per cent in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination have been denied admission into tertiary institutions due to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s age restriction policy.
The policy, announced by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on 8 July 2025 during a JAMB policy meeting in Abuja, sets 16 years as the minimum age for admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. Underage candidates who sit for the examination are required to score at least 80 per cent to qualify for admission.
Speaking in an interview with The Guardian at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos State, Mbamalu said that despite 599 candidates meeting the 80 per cent threshold, only 85 were admitted. “About 599 candidates scored above 80 per cent, but only 85 were admitted, leaving 514 stranded. I call it ‘on the streets’ because no national institution can take them due to their age,” he stated.
Mbamalu described the policy as a “copy and paste” approach borrowed from Western countries without adaptation to Nigeria’s context. “I call it a copy and paste policy because it was not properly thought through. In most Western countries, the benchmark age is 18, but they have a structured system that tracks children from the point of entry into school. Here, the children are made scapegoats,” he said.
He argued that children should not bear the consequences of decisions made by parents and school owners. “As a school owner, I know that when parents pay high fees, they expect results. Schools then push children ahead academically. Yet, neither the parents nor the schools are sanctioned. Instead, the child is punished at the end of the journey,” he explained.
Mbamalu proposed reforms, including enforcing minimum age requirements for entry into primary and secondary schools, sanctioning schools that admit underage pupils, and establishing a centralised tracking system similar to the National Identification Number to monitor children’s ages from birth.
He described the policy as “wicked and unfair,” warning that affected students face prolonged idleness that could expose them to negative influences. “Some of these students scored as high as 330, yet they are left idle at home. If they retake the exam, they may not perform as well because they have lost academic momentum,” he noted.
Mbamalu urged the government and JAMB to review the policy and create alternative pathways for qualified underage candidates to access tertiary education.
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