JAMB to screen exceptional underage candidates for 2025/2026 varsity admission
By Uji A Iliyasu, Abuja
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will, between 22 and 26 September, screen over 500 exceptional candidates below the age of 16 who are seeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The exercise will be conducted by a special technical committee established by JAMB, following resolutions reached during a virtual meeting on Wednesday.
Speaking at the meeting, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, announced that three venues have been selected for the screening: Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri. Lagos will host 397 candidates, Owerri 136, and Abuja 66.
Professor Oloyede noted that, of the 41,027 underage candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), more than 40,000 did not pass the initial stage. He explained that the screening is designed to ensure only exceptional and well-prepared underage candidates gain admission.
“People have been doing it in other parts of the world. We are not reinventing the wheel,” he said.
A subcommittee chaired by Professor Taoheed Adedoja presented its report on the planned assessment, indicating that candidates will undergo subject-specific tests followed by a brief oral interview. The committee will also request results from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to verify the eligibility of certain shortlisted candidates before interviews.
Participants in the virtual meeting included heads of tertiary institutions, government agencies, civil society representatives, members of the Nigerian Academy of Education, and the principal of the Federal Government Gifted Academy, Suleja.
Out of the 1.955 million candidates who sat for this year’s UTME nationwide, 599 scored above 300 but were under the minimum admission age of 16, prompting the creation of the screening committee.
The policy aligns with the Ministry of Education’s directive setting 16 as the minimum entry age for tertiary institutions. It aims to balance academic excellence with cognitive maturity, prevent age falsification, and shield young candidates from undue parental pressure.
Four universities — the Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; the University of Jos; and Osun State University — have already informed JAMB they will not admit underage candidates under any circumstances.
JAMB has set the eligibility criteria at a minimum UTME score of 320 (80%), at least 80% in post-UTME, and a minimum of 80% (24/30 points) in a single WAEC or NECO sitting.