The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) official cut-off marks for the 2024 admission exercise into tertiary institutions in Nigeria have been announced. The marks were announced on Thursday at the policy meeting held in Abuja, which was presided over by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, and attended by all relevant stakeholders in the education sector. The policy meeting agreed on a minimum score of 140 for candidates seeking University admission, and 100 for Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
It was also disclosed at the meeting that there’s no such thing as a ‘cut-off mark’ in the admission process to tertiary institutions in Nigeria, as what’s obtainable is the minimum tolerable score determined by individual institutions.
“JAMB does not set the cut-off mark. What we have is a minimum benchmark score that any university cannot go below. Different universities have their benchmark scores,” JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede announced.
Meanwhile, after the protest that greeted his decision to benchmark 18 years as the entry year into tertiary institutions in the country, Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has rescinded the decision.
He said his decision that only candidates who have clocked 18 years be offered admissions now takes effect from 2025.
To this effect, the minister said heads of tertiary institutions could be allowed to admit candidates who are 16 years of age.
The minister was forced to succumb, following the argument that students under the age of 18 had already registered, sat, and passed the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, and were awaiting admission.
Leading the motion, Vice Chancellor of Elizade University Prof. Kayode Thadius Ijiadunola who got massive support from other heads, registrar, and admission officers participating in the policy meeting, proposed 16 as the minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary institutions.
He said, “What happens to those who have written this year’s exams and passed their exams? We reject 18 years as the minimum age requirement and are proposing 16 years.”While the hall erupted in support of 16 years as a minimum requirement, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, asked where parents and candidates were rushing to.