Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized the federal government’s recent directive that restricts admission to tertiary institutions to candidates aged 18 and above.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Atiku accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of behaving “like a sailor lost at sea.” This remark follows the announcement by Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, who declared that admission into tertiary institutions would be limited to candidates aged 18 and above. Mamman justified the policy by citing the 6-3-3-4 system of education, noting that many students currently admitted are too young to handle the rigors of university life.
“The minimum age for university entry is 18, but we see students as young as 15 or 16 taking entrance exams,” Mamman stated. He emphasized that parental pressure often forces students into higher education before they are ready. “Parents should be encouraged not to push their wards too much. These candidates are too young to fully grasp what university education entails. At this stage, children transition from a controlled to an uncontrolled environment, and if they are too young, they may struggle to manage this shift properly,” he added.
Atiku, however, condemned this policy, calling it an “absurdity” and a “disincentive to scholarship.” He argued that the policy oversteps federal boundaries in a system where education falls under the concurrent list, granting sub-national governments more authority than the federal government in educational matters.
“The policy not only violates the federal structure of our government but also reflects the Tinubu administration’s disoriented approach to addressing the myriad issues plaguing our educational system,” Atiku said. “It is extra-constitutional for the federal government to impose such regulations on education, akin to a decree. The best global practice is for sub-national governments to formulate their own educational laws and regulations.”
He further criticized the government for neglecting the needs of specially gifted students, saying, “It is embarrassing that the government, while announcing this policy, admitted that it has no plan to cater for gifted pupils. This shows a lack of appreciation for intellectual talent in Nigeria. The federal government should be identifying and supporting gifted students, regardless of their age, by providing scholarships and other resources.”
Atiku concluded by labeling the policy as belonging “in the Stone Ages” and called for widespread condemnation from all who believe in intellectual freedom and educational accessibility.
