Mamman’s Varsity Age Limit Trashed

With the sack of former Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, about three weeks ago, his successor, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, has reversed the 18 years age limit set for admissions into universities in the country.

Alausa announced this decision during a briefing last Tuesday after resuming office as the new education minister.

Mamman had in July directed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Nigerian tertiary institutions not to admit candidates below 18 years. He gave the directive in his address during the JAMB policy meeting with the heads of tertiary institutions on the modalities of the 2024/2025 admission.

Even though he maintained that it was a matter of policy and not his personal decision, his action had generated intense outrage, with parents and civil society organisations saying it was a plot to draw the southern part of the country backward educationally. 

Critics believe that the retrogressive policy contributed mainly to his exit.

Last week, however, Alausa directed that the age limit be pegged at 16 years, saying the policy was detrimental to the federal government’s efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the country.

He added that exceptions would be granted for “gifted’ children, noting the government was working towards making the country’s education system more practical than theoretical, especially in the tertiary institutions.

Alausa stressed that practical education would better address the unemployment crisis in Nigeria by preparing graduates for the job market. He also said the federal government would work with private sector operators for the training of students to unleash their potential.

What Mamman should have done when he saw the outrage his policy generated as a leader under a democracy was to quickly jettison it but he pursued its implementation in a manner that seemed like a personal agenda. He didn’t realise that he held the position to serve the people. 

His sudden fall is a lesson to others who hold positions of authority and espouse obnoxious policies.