A Delta State High Court in Warri has issued an injunction preventing the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from enforcing its recent age requirement policy for university admissions, which mandates a minimum age of 16, until further notice. The decision follows legal action by John Aikpokpo-Martins, a former Nigerian Bar Association chairman from Warri, who contended that the policy would unjustly affect young candidates.
The new directive, issued by JAMB on October 16, 2024, stated that only students who reach the age of 16 by August 2025 would qualify for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions. The policy aligns with a recent Ministry of Education stance recommending 18 as the minimum age for university entrance, with JAMB allowing a temporary exemption for the 2024/2025 admission cycle.
However, Aikpokpo-Martins, on behalf of all 2024 candidates aged 15 who successfully passed their JAMB exams, challenged the requirement in court. He argued that the rule would prevent many qualified young students from accessing higher education, and that it infringes upon their rights.
In his Thursday ruling, Justice Anthony Akpovi granted Aikpokpo-Martins’s request to suspend JAMB’s directive. The court ordered that JAMB and the involved institutions, including Edwin Clark University, maintain the current admissions list, allowing affected candidates to retain their offers pending the outcome of the case.
Justice Akpovi stated, “Reliefs 1 and 2 are hereby granted to protect the rights of all candidates born between September and December 2009 who passed their exams in 2024. The status quo is to be maintained, with the admission list prior to the directive remaining in force until further proceedings.” The court also directed that all involved parties be promptly served and granted an accelerated hearing.
As the legal dispute unfolds, JAMB’s age policy, alongside its broader implications for educational access, continues to face mounting scrutiny across Nigeria.
