Abuja: The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will begin screening for over 500 candidates below 16 years of age seeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session between September 22 and 26. The exercise will be conducted by a special technical committee set up by JAMB, according to resolutions reached during a virtual meeting of members on Wednesday.
According to Voice of Nigeria, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede stated that three venues have been selected for the screening: Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri. Lagos will host 397 candidates, Owerri 136, and Abuja 66. Out of 41,027 underage candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), more than 40,000 did not scale the first hurdle. The screening aims to ensure that only well-prepared underage candidates gain admission.
During the meeting, a subcommittee led by Prof. Taoheed Adedoja presented its report on the planned assessment, stating that candidates will face subject-specific tests followed by a brief oral interview. The committee also resolved to request result details from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to verify the eligibility of some shortlisted candidates before they appear for 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 Federal Government Gifted Academy, Suleja.
The initiative follows the creation of the screening committee prompted by the case of 599 candidates who scored above 300 in this year’s UTME but fell below the minimum admission age of 16. This policy aligns with the Ministry of Education’s directive setting 16 as the minimum entry age for tertiary institutions. It aims to ensure that candidates admitted are mentally and psychologically prepared for higher education demands. Four universities, including the Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, have informed JAMB that they will not admit underage candidates under any circumstances.
JAMB’s policy targets candidates who score at least 320 in UTME, achieve a minimum of 80% in post-UTME, and secure at least 80% in a single WAEC or NECO sitting. The policy aims to balance academic excellence with cognitive maturity, prevent age falsification, and protect young candidates from undue parental pressure.