Only 20 percent of the candidates participating in the 2024 Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) might gain admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the federal government says.
The current age requirements for admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education are under review by the federal government, with the possibility of adjusting the date to 18 years of age.
This was disclosed on Monday in Abuja by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during a monitoring exercise of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), accompanied by the JAMB registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.
Campusnews360 reported that over 1.9 million candidates are participating in the ongoing JAMB examination, which commenced on Friday, April 19, 2024. The examination is scheduled to end on Monday, April 29, 2024.
The Education Minister noted the need for parents to avoid exerting unnecessary pressure on their children by allowing them to attain a certain level of maturity before seeking admission into tertiary institutions. This maturity, according to him, allows them to be able to manage their affairs.
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While reacting to the high population of candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities with limited available slots, Mamman reiterated the need for skills acquisition as a critical component in bracing the youth for a brighter future.
“It is not a question of being employed but how many will be admitted from this set. I think the figure overall on average is about 20 per cent; universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
“The question you ask is where are the 80 percent? They are our children, our wards living with us. This is why the issue of skills acquisition is terribly important because any student who is not being able to proceed to tertiary education, should be able to have a meaningful life even after secondary school, even primary education actually.
“The only solution to that is skills; by taking skills right from the time they entered school, for the primary right through the educational trajectory. Somebody should finish with one skill or another. That is part of the assumption of the 6-3-3-4.”
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The minister, while reacting to the age requirements for admission in universities, noted that the ministry would take a critical look into the age of students who have applied to Nigerian universities, considering that it has recorded a high number of “too young” students for this year’s admission.
“We are going to look at that. 18 is the entry age for university, but you will see students, 15, and 16, going to the examination. It is not good for us. Parents should be encouraged not to push their wards, or children too much.”
On the conduct of the JAMB examinations, Mamman commended the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board for organizing a seamless examination and for adopting technology to reduce cases of examination malpractice across examination centers.
“Right from screening to those who are here, the examination process is seamless. The environment is comfortable for students. That’s how it should be, especially the use of technology in our affairs and the educational system. It makes life easy for everybody and seamless.” He added.
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