Afe Babalola University (ABUAD) has publicly opposed the recent federal government policy imposing an age limit of 18 years for admission into higher education institutions.
The university's founder, Aare Afe Babalola, criticized the policy as a regressive measure that undermines educational opportunities for talented young individuals.
During a press conference on August 29, 2024, in Ado-Ekiti, Babalola asserted that universities should maintain the autonomy to set their own admission criteria, similar to practices in Western countries. He emphasized that the decision to restrict admission based on age is inappropriate and detrimental, particularly for gifted students who may be ready for higher education at a younger age.
Babalola stated, "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."
He highlighted that ABUAD has a history of admitting students below the age of 18, citing examples of students who have excelled academically and graduated with honors at a young age.
The founder believes this policy could hinder the academic progress of capable young minds. He called for a reconsideration of the policy to allow universities the discretion to admit students based on their qualifications rather than arbitrary age limits.
