The Delta State High Court in Warri has issued an order temporarily restraining the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from enforcing its new policy mandating a minimum admissible age of 16 years for university admissions in Nigeria
This order will remain in place pending the hearing and resolution of a motion filed against the policy.
On October 16, JAMB announced that only candidates who turn 16 by August 2025 would be eligible for admission to tertiary institutions.
This directive aligns with a new Ministry of Education policy setting 18 years as the minimum age for tertiary admission, although JAMB provided an exception for students seeking admission for the 2024/2025 academic session.
Dissatisfied with JAMB’s policy, former Nigerian Bar Association Warri branch chairman, John Aikpokpo-Martins, filed a suit against JAMB and Edwin Clark University on behalf of candidates born between September 1 and December 31, 2009, who passed the 2024 JAMB exams.
The suit, marked W/311/FHR/2021, seeks to halt the age restriction and ensure these candidates’ admissions remain valid.
In a ruling on Thursday, Justice Anthony Akpovi granted all reliefs requested by Aikpokpo-Martins.
According to the Certified True Copy (CTC) obtained by Sunday PUNCH, the court ordered an interim injunction preventing the respondents from implementing JAMB’s October 16 circular until the full hearing of the motion.
Additionally, the applicant sought to prevent the withdrawal of admission for Angel Aikpokpo Martins, preserving her rights and access to educational facilities at Edwin Clark University.
The court also granted accelerated hearing and permitted substituted service by courier.
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