The Delta State High Court in Warri has issued an injunction preventing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) from enforcing its newly implemented policy setting a minimum age of 16 years for university admissions. The order will remain in place pending the court’s review of a legal challenge filed against JAMB’s age restriction policy.
JAMB’s directive, issued on October 16, stated that only candidates turning 16 by August 2025 would be eligible for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions. This policy aligns with a recent directive from the Ministry of Education to raise the minimum age for university admission to 18 years. However, JAMB granted an exception for students applying for the 2024/2025 academic session.
The case was brought before the court by John Aikpokpo-Martins, former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Warri branch, who filed on behalf of all affected candidates born between September 1 and December 31, 2009, who passed the 2024 JAMB exams. The suit, marked W/311/FHR/2021, named JAMB as the first respondent and Edwin Clark University as the second respondent.
In his ruling, Justice Anthony Akpovi approved the applicant’s requests, including an interim order stopping JAMB from implementing the October 16 circular on age restrictions. This measure effectively holds the policy in abeyance and directs JAMB to maintain its admission list prior to the contested policy.
Justice Akpovi’s ruling also granted an interim injunction preventing the withdrawal of admission from Angel Aikpokpo Martins and other similarly affected candidates, preserving their rights to access educational facilities at the institutions where they were admitted. The court further granted orders for substituted service and accelerated hearing on the originating motion, which was filed on October 24.
