Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has launched a scathing critique of the Federal Government’s recent policy imposing age limits for entry into tertiary institutions. Taking to his official X handle, Atiku described the policy as not only absurd but also a significant disincentive to academic pursuit and scholarship in Nigeria.
Atiku condemned the age limit policy as a gross violation of the federal principles enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution, arguing that it encroaches on the delineation of responsibilities between the federal and state governments. “The policy,” he asserted, “paints a vivid picture of the Tinubu administration as a lost sailor, adrift in a sea of confusion, making misguided decisions that further undermine our already beleaguered educational system.”
Highlighting the constitutional provisions, Atiku reminded the government that education falls under the Concurrent List, where sub-national governments have a more prominent role than the federal government. He criticized the policy as “extra-constitutional,” comparing it to a decree imposed without regard for the constitutional framework that governs Nigeria.
Atiku expressed deep concern over the government’s failure to consider the implications of this policy on specially gifted students. He described the government’s admission that it has no plan to cater to these students as an “embarrassment to the body of intellectuals in the country.” According to him, this oversight paints Nigeria as a nation that fails to recognize and nurture its brightest minds.
“The irony,” Atiku continued, “is that if the federal government has any role in education, it should be to create mechanisms that identify and support gifted students, regardless of their age, ensuring they have access to tertiary education.” He lamented that instead of fostering intellectual freedom and accessibility, the policy regresses to an era that has no place in a modern, progressive society.
In his closing remarks, Atiku called on all Nigerians who believe in the principles of intellectual freedom and equal access to education to condemn this “Stone Age” policy. He urged the government to rethink its approach and focus on policies that promote, rather than hinder, academic excellence and innovation.
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