18 Minimum Years for Entry into Tertiary Institution: Issues and Challenges for Educational Development in Nigeria

The study focused on interrogating 18 Years Minimum as entrance into tertiary institutions in Nigeria, with specific attention on issues and challenges. The broad aim is to investigate the generic consequences of the policy on the growth and development of tertiary education. However, one of the specific objectives includes assessing the rationale behind the 18 Years Minimum age as entrance requirement into Nigeria’s tertiary education. This policy is central to the core of our investigation and research because it raises doubts, negative comments and frustration for candidates and parents. The research attempted to reveal positive contributions of the policy to the growth and development of educational sector. We adopted primary source of data collection to enable qualitative and sophisticated analysis of data, robust discussion of findings and ensure significant suggestions. Two theories were adopted for intellectual interrogation, these are Cognitive development theory {by Jean and Lev} and psychological development theory {by Erick}. These theories emphasized the need to control age and set standard for minimum entrance requirement and admissions processes. Although, Cognitive development theory on the one hand examined the consequences of limiting age on education, ignoring its positive sides, psychological development theory reveals the implications of limiting certain bracket on all the candidate’s seeking admission into tertiary institutions and suggests constructive control measures. The study observed that, indiscriminate and uncontrolled age limit as entrance into tertiary education weaken the nation’s global educational ranking norms, thereby creating setbacks in the growth and development of tertiary education in Nigeria and limit chances of schooling abroad. Predicated on the aforementioned, the study recommends among other that, the 18 Years Minimum Age policy should be enforced without sentiments and other primordial or political considerations.