The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has refuted claims that it has established cut-off marks for admissions into higher institutions nationwide.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Thursday, the Board rejected reports suggesting that it had set a cut-off mark of 140 for universities and 100 for polytechnics.
“There’s no such thing as ‘cut-off mark’ in admission process to tertiary institutions in Nigeria, what’s obtainable is minimum tolerable score determinable by individual institutions,” it said.
The denial follows widespread reports from the previous day claiming that JAMB had set 140 as the cut-off mark for university admissions and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education.
According to the statement attributed to JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede, this information was announced during the 2024 Policy meeting of the Board in Abuja.
The meeting was attended by Education Minister Tahir Mamman, vice-chancellors, rectors, registrars of higher institutions, and other stakeholders.
Minimum Entry Age
During the meeting, the minister instructed that admissions to tertiary institutions should be restricted to candidates aged 18 and older.
The announcement prompted a range of reactions from vice-chancellors, rectors, and registrars present at the meeting. The minister also criticized some parents for pressuring their underage children to gain admission into higher education institutions.
Mamman emphasized that the 18-year age requirement aligns with the 6-3-3-4 educational system.
“JAMB is hereby instructed from admission this year to admit only eligible students. That is those who have attained 18 years by our laws,” the minister.
He insisted that his position was backed by Nigeria’s law guiding admissions into tertiary institutions. He said it shouldn’t require a statement from him for that to be taken into consideration by admission bodies.
“Our laws require students to be in school from six years – Yes, there are those who do that from five – and remain in primary school for six years, basic education for three years, and secondary school for three years… It doesn’t require a statement of the minister… we are only restating what is in the law,” he added.
Professor Mamman added that for those who will not be able to gain admission into tertiary institutions, the Ministry of Education is taking skills to pupils from primary school.