The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has set plans in motion to screen more than 500 candidates below the age of 16, seeking admission into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic year. This exceptional screening exercise will take place from September 22 to 26.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, confirmed that the process will be managed by a special technical committee. The screening will take place at three locations: Lagos (397 candidates), Owerri (136 candidates), and Abuja (66 candidates).
“People have been doing it in other parts of the world. We are not reinventing the wheel,” Oloyede remarked.
This initiative comes after over 40,000 out of the 41,027 underage candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) failed to meet the cut-off age for university admission. The screening intends to ensure only the most exceptional candidates are considered, in alignment with the Ministry of Education’s directive that sets the minimum entry age for tertiary education at 16.
A subcommittee led by Prof. Taoheed Adedoja outlined that the process will involve subject-specific tests, followed by a brief oral interview. Results from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will also be used to verify the eligibility of some shortlisted candidates.
Out of the 1.955 million candidates who sat for this year’s UTME, 599 candidates scored over 300 points but fell short of the age requirement, triggering the need for the screening. This move is aimed at balancing academic excellence with cognitive maturity, while also discouraging age falsification.
Four universities have already pledged not to admit underage candidates, no matter the circumstances. These include the Air Force Institute of Technology in Kaduna, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi, University of Jos, and Osun State University.
Candidates who score at least 320 in the UTME, 80% in the post-UTME, and 80% (24/30 points) in a single sitting of WAEC or NECO will be considered eligible for admission.
