Afe Babalola University Dares FG, to Continue Admitting Students Below Age 18 Despite Policy
- Afe Babalola University has issued a stance regarding the federal government policy on the age limit for admission into higher institution
- The founder of the university in Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, described the new policy as retrogressive and detrimental to the educational opportunities for intelligent young minds
- He argued that universities should retain the autonomy to decide admission criteria based on their discretion, aligning with practices in Western countries rather than adhering to restrictive government directives.
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Aare Afe Babalola, the founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has said the University will continue to admit students below the age of 18.
Source: Facebook
"We'll admit students below 18," ABUAD founder insists
The elder statesman stated this on Thursday, August 29, while speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state capital.
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Babalola, who faulted the decision of the federal government to bar students not up to 18 from gaining admission and having access to university education in the country, said the new policy is unacceptable and retrogressive, The Nigerian Tribune reported.
The founder maintained that brilliant and gifted children would be denied the opportunity to advance their career at the early stage of their lives, Vanguard reported.
As reported by The Punch, he explained that universities enjoy autonomy and that they should be allowed to use their discretion in admitting students from different programmes that are obtainable in Western countries rather than government issuing directives in this regard.
He said:
"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. It is the duty of the university to decide to exercise their discretion, and you can’t take that discretion from them.
"To me, the issue of age is a matter of discretion for the university, and let me say that we have been doing it here. We have students who came to ABUAD at 15 and graduated with First Class at the age of 19, and we will continue to do it."
Read more about the age limit for admission here:
- Nigerian govt told to suspend new policy of 18 year age limit for WAEC, NECO
- Controversies over age limit of potential UTME candidates
- WASSCE: ASUU, NUT differ as FG bans under-18
Atiku reacts to policy on age limit for tertiary admission
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, reacted to federal government policy on the age limit for sitting WAEC and NECO.
The former vice president said the policy belongs in the Stone Age and should be condemned by everyone.
Atiku added that the policy shows how the “Tinubu government behaves like a lost sailor on a high sea".
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Source: Legit.ng
