The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced plans to screen more than 500 exceptional candidates below the age of 16 seeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The exercise will be conducted from September 22 to 26 across three centres — Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri.
Speaking during a virtual meeting on Wednesday, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that Lagos will host 397 candidates, Owerri 136, and Abuja 66.
Out of 41,027 underage candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME, only a small number met the initial qualification criteria.
Oloyede explained that the screening was aimed at selecting only well-prepared and truly exceptional candidates.
“People have been doing it in other parts of the world. We are not reinventing the wheel,” he said.
This development follows concerns over the 599 candidates who scored above 300 in the 2025 UTME but fell below the official minimum admission age of 16.
Assessment process
According to Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, a subcommittee member, the evaluation will involve subject-specific tests followed by a brief oral interview.
He added that WAEC result verification will be carried out for shortlisted candidates.
The board stated that the initiative seeks to balance academic excellence with cognitive maturity, discourage age falsification, and protect children from excessive parental pressure.
Qualification criteria
Only candidates who meet all the following criteria will be considered:
- A minimum UTME score of 320
- At least 80 per cent in post-UTME
- 80% (24/30 points) in a single WAEC or NECO sitting
What you should know
JAMB announced a new set of strict screening procedures for exceptionally high-performing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates who are under 16 years of age to curb academic abuse and prevent emotionally and psychologically unready children from entering universities.
The new screening process follows a federal policy setting the minimum age for tertiary admission at 16, with exceptions granted only to a small group who meet strict academic and psychological requirements.
- Underage candidates must score at least 320 in UTME, 80 per cent in post-UTME, and 80 per cent in a single WAEC or NECO sitting without combining results.
- Mathematics is mandatory for science candidates, while English is required for arts candidates.
- A dedicated post-UTME screening will still apply even in universities that have suspended the process.
- A 23-member National Committee on Underage Admission, chaired by Oloyede, will oversee screenings in Abuja, Lagos, and Owerri, assessing academic records alongside emotional and psychological readiness.
The process will also include affective and psychomotor evaluations, with a subcommittee led by Professor Taoheed Adedoja tasked with designing the assessment framework.
