Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the directive by the federal government that tertiary institutions should not admit candidates under 18 years old, describing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government as “behaving like a lost sailor on a high sea”.
Atiku, in a statement on social media, criticized the policy as “absurd” and “anti-scholarship”, arguing that it runs counter to the principles of federalism and intellectual freedom.
The policy, announced by Education Minister Tahir Mamman, sets 18 as the minimum age for university admission, citing the 6-3-3-4 education system.
Mamman attributed the decision to concerns that younger students may not be able to manage university life.
Atiku countered that the policy is unconstitutional and an overreach of federal authority, as education falls under the concurrent list of schedules, giving sub-national governments more responsibility.
He argued that gifted students, regardless of age, should be encouraged and supported, not barred from tertiary education. Atiku therefore called on intellectuals and advocates for educational freedom to condemn the policy.
His words: “The policy runs foul of the notion of delineation of responsibilities in a federal system of government such as we are practising, and gives a graphic impression of how the Tinubu government behaves like a lost sailor on a high sea. Otherwise, how is such anti-scholarship regulation the next logical step in the myriad of issues besetting our educational system?
“To be clear, the Nigerian constitution puts education in the concurrent list of schedules, in which the sub-national government enjoys more roles above the federal government.
“Therefore, it is extra-constitutional for the federal government to legislate on education in a manner similar to a decree.
“The best global standard for such regulation is to allow the sub-national governments to make respective laws or rules on education.
“It is discouraging that even while announcing this obnoxious policy, the government inadvertently said it had no plan to cater for specially gifted pupils. That statement is an embarrassment to the body of intellectuals in the country because it portrays Nigeria as a country where gifted students are not appreciated.
“The irony here is that should the federal government play any role in education, it is to set up mechanisms that will identify and grant scholarships to gifted students not minding their ages before applying for admission into tertiary institutions.
“This controversial policy belongs in the Stone Ages and should be roundly condemned by everyone who believes in intellectual freedom and accessibility.”