*Demand JAMB Lift Age Cutoff, Restore Admissions for 2024 UTME Passers
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In a scathing petition dated September 23, 2025, Providence Law Firm, representing a coalition of aggrieved parents and students under the banner of the Movement Against JAMB Injustice 2025, has called on the House Committee on Ethics and Public Petitions to investigate the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for alleged contempt of two superior court judgments and a parliamentary resolution.
The firm accused JAMB of persisting with an “illegal and arbitrary” policy that bars candidates under 16 years old from gaining university admission, despite legal rulings declaring it unconstitutional.
“JAMB continues to enforce the admission age restriction policy in defiance of the judgments of two superior courts of record, which declared the policy unconstitutional and illegal,” the petition stated, stressing the board’s “recalcitrant” disregard for judicial authority and legislative directives.
The controversy began last year when JAMB introduced the age cutoff amid concerns over underage students in higher institutions. However, the policy quickly faced legal pushback. In a landmark ruling on February 27, 2025, the Delta State High Court in Warri (Suit No. W/311/FHR/2024: John Aikpokpo-Martins v. Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board & Ors.) declared the policy unconstitutional, citing Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom from discrimination. Justice [name not specified in records] held that the policy “violently violates the fundamental right to freedom from discrimination” and set it aside as “null and void.”
Similarly, on December 30, 2024, the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja (Suit No. ID/18508MFHR/2024: David Ayooluwa Akindoyin v. Joint Admission and Matriculation Board) ruled in favour of 15-year-old plaintiff David Ayooluwa Akindoyin, whose admission to Redeemer’s University was blocked despite his strong UTME performance. Justice A.M. Lawal described the policy as a “breach of the right to freedom from discrimination” and criticized JAMB for allowing candidates to sit the exam before imposing the restriction, calling it “unfair and inconsistent.”
Despite these rulings, JAMB appealed the Delta judgment and sought a stay of execution, signalling its intent to uphold the policy. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives passed a resolution in early 2025, sponsored by Dr. Abdulmoruf Adewale Adebayo (Irepodun/Osogbo Federal Constituency, Osun State), directing JAMB to suspend enforcement. Advocacy groups have since escalated protests, with some threatening to petition the United Nations over what they described as the policy’s “arbitrary and unfair” nature.
The 10-page petition outlined six major grounds for intervention, framing JAMB’s actions as a direct assault on constitutional rights, child protection laws, and administrative fairness:
- Contempt of Court – JAMB, as a statutory body under the National Assembly, is bound by Section 287(3) of the Constitution to enforce the Delta and Lagos judgments, yet it has “deliberately treated them with contempt.”
- Disregard for House Resolution – The board’s defiance undermines the legislative arm that created it.
- Violation of Fundamental Rights – The policy discriminates based on birth date (Section 42, 1999 Constitution) and denies equal educational opportunities (Section 18(1)), contrary to Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
- Breach of the Child Rights Act 2003 – It prioritises bureaucracy over children’s best interests (Section 1), discriminates against minors (Section 10), and voids any “undertakings” extracted from underage candidates, since contracts with children are illegal except for necessities.
- Doctrine of Legitimate Expectation – Candidates relied on decades of JAMB’s age-neutral practice when registering for UTME; retroactively imposing the rule after exams “shifts the goalpost midway.”
- Other Abuses – JAMB’s demand for a 320 UTME score from affected candidates creates unequal standards and discourages excellence.
The petition also condemned the retroactive application of the rule, noting that it was announced in October 2024 when many affected students were in SS2 preparing for exams causing “agony and trauma” to families.
The coalition urged the committee to compel JAMB to:
- Lift the age restriction for all qualified 2024 UTME candidates turning 16 by December 31, 2025.
- Remove portal barriers preventing affected candidates from processing admissions.
- Restore withdrawn admissions.
- Fully comply with the February and December court judgments.
“Our clients’ confidence in the potency of the intervention of your good offices remains unshaken,” the letter concluded, expressing hope for “prompt and positive” action.
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