FG Debunks Claim on New Age Requirement for JSS1 and University Admission

• In a statement released by the Federal Ministry of Education’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the government clarified that no such policy has been enacted.

The Federal Government has refuted media reports suggesting that it recently introduced a minimum age of 12 years for entry into Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1).

In a statement released by the Federal Ministry of Education’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the government clarified that no such policy has been enacted.

Describing the claims as misleading and inaccurate, the ministry emphasized that the official minimum age for university admission in Nigeria remains 16 years, reaffirming its existing policy stance.

“The Federal Ministry of Education has noted with concern a false and misleading publication claiming that the Federal Government has set a new minimum age of 12 years for admission into Junior Secondary School 1. The Ministry categorically states that this report is entirely inaccurate, did not emanate from any official source, and does not represent government policy,” the statement read.

The Ministry reaffirmed that the minimum age for admission into JSS1 remains 10 years. “Accordingly, no child should complete primary education below the age of 10. Any suggestion to the contrary is misleading and should be disregarded by the public and all education stakeholders.”