Is a 16-Year-Old in the University a Problem for Nigeria?

In an interview with Channels, Nigeria’s minister for education, Professor Tahir Mamman declared that “underage” students will not be allowed to sit for the examinations held by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) which would deny the students to seek university admission at an early age. According to his analysis, the prerequisite age to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is 18, therefore secondary school students are expected to graduate at the age of 17 and a half. While the minister’s breakdown analysis appears straightforward, it is rather flawed.

The minister’s stance raises significant concerns about the priorities of Nigeria’s education system. While the intent might be to ensure maturity before entering university, the reality is that many students in Nigeria complete secondary school before they turn 15. Which is not even a problem; it’s a result of the educational and cultural dynamics in the country. For instance, it’s common for parents to enrol their children in school at an early age, particularly if they show early academic promise. By enforcing an age limit on examinations like WAEC and NECO, the government is delimiting students for their academic capabilities. It contradicts the principles of merit and hard work that should underpin the education system. Instead of celebrating and nurturing young talents, the system seems more intent on stifling them.

While the minister is focused on regulating the age of university admission, there are far more pressing concerns in the education sector that demand attention. Schools across the country are struggling with inadequate infrastructure, lack of teaching materials, and underpaid teachers. These are the issues that should be at the forefront of educational reform, not whether a 16-year-old is mature enough to enter university.

But that’s not the issue. My issue is what appears to be more flawed in the minister’s analysis which is the context he used the term “underage”. A dictionary meaning will not describe underage as the inability to pursue education. It would rather describe it as a person “too young to engage legally” in some activities. Education is not age-bound; you can begin learning as early as a toddler to as old as your last breath.

My concern is how the minister’s analysis fails to address the broader societal context in Nigeria, where early marriage is still prevalent in many parts of the country, and there’s no law criminalising it. According to UNICEF, Nigeria ranks high among the countries with prevalent child marriages. Just earlier this year, a mass wedding was planned for about 100 underage girls. Meanwhile, the minister or any government personnel did not come out to describe the girls as “underage”. Suppose the government is genuinely concerned about the well-being and future of its youth, it should start by applying the same level of scrutiny to practices like child marriage as it does to the age of university admission.

Moreover, the global context shows that age should not be a barrier to academic or professional achievement. Take, for example, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, who became the youngest player to win the Euros Cup. If Yamal were Nigerian, the minister’s policy would suggest that he is too young even to begin university. Yet, in Spain, his youth is celebrated, not curtailed. This highlights a difference in approach: while other countries nurture and promote young talent, Nigeria’s policies seem to hold them back. It is not unprecedented, which is why the majority of Nigeria’s young brightest leave the country for environments in the global world to nurture their dreams.

Nigeria has a broader issue of misplaced priorities. While the government is focused on regulating the age of university admission, there are pressing concerns in the education sector that demand attention. Schools across the country are struggling with inadequate infrastructure and there are millions of out-of-school children on the streets who need basic education to secure their future. The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination is designed to test the knowledge and preparedness of students for higher education. If a student can pass this exam, it should be a clear indication that they are ready to advance, regardless of their age. Denying young students the opportunity to pursue higher education because of their age is not only unfair but also counterproductive. Nigeria has so many problems, a 16-year-old in the university is not one of those problems.