The new Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced the removal of the longstanding 18-year minimum age requirement for admission into the nation’s tertiary institutions.
This decision marks a departure from an 18-year benchmark that has governed university admissions for nearly two decades, affecting students nationwide who often had to delay higher education due to age restrictions.
Dr. Alausa made this announcement on Wednesday during his first official press briefing held in Abuja. The Minister suggested that further changes could come as his administration reviews Nigeria’s broader education policy, indicating a potential for more reforms aimed at enhancing access to higher education and addressing structural challenges within the sector.
In addition to lifting the age restriction, Dr. Alausa also took a strong stance against fraudulent degrees. He clarified that the government would maintain its recent decision to invalidate over 22,700 degrees obtained from institutions in neighboring countries, specifically Togo and Benin Republic, which were deemed “fake.”
