The Federal Government has refuted reports suggesting it has raised the minimum age for Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1) admission to 12 years, calling the claim false and misleading.
The clarification followed viral publications across various media platforms claiming the Ministry of Education had issued a new directive requiring pupils to be at least 12 years old before progressing into JSS1.
Reacting on Friday, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Boriowo Folasade, said there had been no policy change, and the existing guideline remains in effect.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the minimum age for admission into JSS1 remains 10 years,” she said in an official statement issued in Abuja. “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.”
Mrs Boriowo also addressed the ongoing public confusion over university admissions, noting that the long-standing age requirement of 16 years remains valid.
“The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has reiterated that the prescribed minimum age for admission into Nigerian universities is 16 years. This policy is consistent, non-negotiable, and applies uniformly, regardless of how early a student may have completed secondary education,” she added.
The Ministry emphasised that the age benchmarks are designed to ensure that students are cognitively and emotionally ready for the academic and social demands of their next level of education.
It also urged the public, school administrators, and the media to verify information through official government channels before sharing or acting on it.