Abraham Lincoln, in his famous Gettysburg Address in 1863, defined democracy as “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” This definition underscores the very essence of democratic governance—the idea that the citizens, who constitute “the people,” should be at the heart of every policy and decision made by the government. In theory, this should mean that Nigerians, living under a democratic system, would have little to worry about regarding their needs and interests. However, is this truly the case in Nigeria today? Are the citizens genuinely at the epicentre of governmental decisions?
A Cover Up, Perhaps?
To explore this, let’s examine a recent policy decision by the Nigerian government. On July 28th, 2024, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during the 2024 Policy Meeting on Admission into Tertiary Institutions organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Abuja, directed that only students who have attained the age of 18 years should be admitted into tertiary institutions in the 2024 admission cycle. This directive sparked significant debate among stakeholders, including Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and other educational leaders, who expressed their disagreement. Despite this, Prof. Mamman reiterated that the 2024 admission criteria would remain as approved and warned that any Vice Chancellor, Rector, or Provost who deviated from these guidelines would face sanctions.
This raises an all important question: Is this policy truly people-oriented? Are the best interests of Nigerian citizens genuinely being considered?
To answer this, let’s look at some statistics. In 2024, over 1.9 million candidates registered and sat for the JAMB examination. However, the board’s capacity to admit these candidates into tertiary institutions remains woefully inadequate. Between 2019 and 2022, 6.9 million candidates sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), but only 2.03 million were admitted into various tertiary institutions, leaving 4.87 million candidates without admission. This stark reality suggests that the current educational infrastructure is severely strained, unable to accommodate the sheer number of aspiring students.
Why now?
Given this context, one might wonder if the new age restriction policy is an attempt to mask the inadequacies of Nigeria’s educational sector. Notably, the Minister of Education clarified that this policy is not new but is only now being implemented. This timing raises further questions. Why now? amidst the turmoil in the socio-economic landscape and the Naira fluctuating like a rickety stove? The government has provided no statistical or empirical evidence to justify this sudden enforcement, nor has it offered a people-oriented narrative to explain how this policy would benefit the citizens or society at large.
Impact On “The People”
Some argue that the policy aims to prevent the admission of immature and inexperienced students into tertiary institutions. However, this begs the question: Who determines the age of maturity? At what point is a person deemed “mature” enough for higher education? The average Nigerian child already lags behind their counterparts in developed countries in terms of technological exposure and the quality of education. Now, with this policy, they are being further disadvantaged. How can such a child be expected to compete on the global stage when they are being labelled “immature” based solely on age?
The current administration had previously promised to reform Nigeria’s education sector from the basic to the tertiary level. Yet, the alarming exodus of citizens seeking better educational opportunities abroad suggests otherwise. The introduction of the new age limit for tertiary institution entry Is tantamount to opening the Nigerian borders and asking students to leave the country. The value of a degree from Nigerian institutions Is now on It’s way to a steady decline.
In desperate times, desperate measures often follow. For parents who cannot afford to send their children abroad for education, the “fake it till you make it” mentality may take root, leading to an increase in falsification of documents and a general erosion of values—not just in the educational sector, but across the country.
A Call To Return
I believe that the motivation behind any action is just as crucial as the action itself. It seems highly unlikely that the well-being of Nigerian citizens and society was the primary consideration in the implementation of this policy. Even if it were, the government has failed to communicate this to the people and this clearly shows where the priority of the government lie.
It is time for the government to return to the democratic ideals described by Abraham Lincoln—a government with “the people” at its core.
