JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede revealed that some Nigerian universities are admitting underage students as young as 10, disregarding the legal age limit of 18.
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, has exposed a significant scandal involving the admission of underage candidates to tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
During a policy meeting of JAMB in Abuja, Professor Oloyede disclosed that certain universities have been admitting students as young as 10 years old, disregarding the legal age limit of 18.
EDITOR’S PICK
- FG To Repatriate 250 More Nigerians From UAE
- JUST IN: Imo Assembly Votes Out Chief Judge For Alleged Age Tampering
- Emotional Philip Shaibu Reinstated As Edo Deputy Gov By Court; Assembly Set To Appeal
He highlighted examples of universities, including the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), which have established a minimum age requirement of 16 years for admission. However, some institutions have been found to admit much younger students.
Oloyede recounted an incident where a candidate applied for a master’s degree at a university in Germany, only to reveal that they had graduated from a Nigerian university at the age of 15. He stated, “Whereas 18 years is the issue, UNILAG and OAU will not accept anybody who is not 16. Some of you will admit even 10-year-olds. Look at this case of underage admission: a candidate applied for a master’s degree at a university in Germany. She then applied for the Erasmus Scholarship programme, which is an EU program, revealing her to have graduated from a Nigerian university at just 15 years old.”
This revelation raises concerns about adherence to admission regulations and the potential impact on the quality of education and the overall academic environment in Nigerian universities.
“The country found it strange that a candidate was born in 2007 and on her passport, she started university when she was 12 years. The selection committee contacted Nigeria to confirm indeed if the candidate studied at the university and graduated at the age of 15 in Nigeria,” Oloyede disclosed.
The JAMB registrar added: “The EU was asking us whether this is possible at that young age. And you know the implication? I can bet it with you in the next two to three years, they will tighten the issue. Graduates of Nigerian universities will have to suffer one humiliation or the other.
FURTHER READING
- PDP Governors Back Fubara Amidst Crisis With Wike
- Lagos: Sanwo-Olu Approves Key Appointments Ahead Of LG Elections
- Average Petrol Price Hits ₦750.17 Per Litre In Latest NNPC Report
“We found that (JAMB) never admitted the candidate because she was underage. The university admitted and registered the candidate. I couldn’t respond to the EU because I was embarrassed. I didn’t know what to write.
“Ignorantly, the vice-chancellor confirmed that the student attended the school but that they weren’t the VC at that time.”
Click here to watch our video of the week:
