The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will begin screening on Monday for over 500 outstanding candidates under the age of 16 seeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The week-long exercise, which ends on Friday, September 26, will be overseen by a special technical committee and held across three centres: Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri. According to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Lagos will screen 397 candidates, Owerri 136, and Abuja 66.
From the 41,027 underage candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), more than 40,000 did not meet the requirements. JAMB emphasized that only the most exceptional students are being considered, in line with international standards. Eligibility requires a minimum UTME score of 320, at least 80% in post-UTME, and a minimum of 80% in WAEC or NECO at one sitting.
The subcommittee, chaired by Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, noted that the evaluation will involve subject-based tests, oral interviews, and verification of WAEC results for shortlisted candidates.
This initiative stems from the Ministry of Education’s policy setting 16 years as the minimum admission age for higher institutions. JAMB explained that the measure is designed to balance academic excellence with psychological maturity, curb age falsification, and shield minors from excessive parental pressure.
