JAMB to Screen 500 Brilliant Underage Candidates for 2025/2026

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will conduct a special screening process for over 500 exceptional candidates under the age of 16 who are seeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic year.

The screening is scheduled to occur from September 22 to 26, 2025.

As per decisions made during a virtual meeting on Wednesday, the exercise will be managed by a dedicated technical committee established by JAMB.

JAMB registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed that three locations have been designated for this process: Lagos (397 candidates), Owerri (136 candidates), and Abuja (66 candidates).

Oloyede pointed out that out of the 41,027 underage candidates who participated in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), more than 40,000 did not meet the initial eligibility criteria.

The purpose of the screening is to ensure that only the most outstanding and sufficiently prepared underage candidates are considered for admission.

“Other parts of the world have implemented similar practices. We are not creating something entirely new,” he stated.

A subcommittee led by Prof. Taoheed Adedoja indicated that the evaluation will involve subject-specific assessments and a short oral interview. JAMB will also request comprehensive results from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to confirm the eligibility of certain shortlisted candidates before the interviews.

Meeting participants included leaders of tertiary institutions, representatives from government agencies, civil society organizations, members of the Nigerian Academy of Education, and the principal of the Federal Government Gifted Academy in Suleja.

Among the 1.955 million candidates who took the 2025 UTME, 599 achieved scores above 300 yet did not meet the minimum admission age of 16—a policy established by the Federal Ministry of Education.

JAMB highlighted that this policy is designed to ensure candidates are mentally and emotionally prepared for higher education and to combat age falsification while safeguarding young learners from excessive parental pressure.

Only candidates who satisfy rigorous academic standards—a minimum score of 320 in UTME (80%), 80% in post-UTME, and 80% (24/30 points) in a single sitting of WAEC or NECO—will be considered.

Four universities—Air Force Institute of Technology in Kaduna, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi, University of Jos, and Osun State University—have already stated that they will not admit underage candidates in any circumstances.