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The founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, has affirmed that the institution will continue admitting students below the age of 18, despite the federal government’s directive to bar such admissions. In a statement made on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti, Babalola criticized the government’s policy as “unacceptable and retrogressive.”
Babalola argued that the policy would hinder the development of gifted children by denying them the opportunity to advance their education early. He emphasized that universities should have the autonomy to determine their admission criteria, including the age of entry, and warned against government interference in these decisions.
“You don’t just go out as a minister of education to direct universities against the university’s autonomy as to who to admit or who not to admit,” Babalola stated. He also cited examples of students who had joined ABUAD at 15 and graduated with First Class honors by the age of 19, highlighting that age should not be a barrier to academic success.
Babalola further criticized the lack of young Nigerian achievers on the global stage, attributing it to policies that delay the progress of brilliant young minds. He called for the federal government to reconsider its stance, allowing universities the discretion to admit students below the age of 18 who meet the necessary academic criteria.
This stance comes in response to recent statements by the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, who reiterated the government’s policy that students under 18 would no longer be permitted to take exams that qualify them for university entry. The directive is part of an effort to standardize the minimum age for university admission in Nigeria.
