The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will screen more than 500 outstanding candidates under the age of 16 for possible admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The exercise will take place from September 22 to 26 at three centres: Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri. JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said Lagos would host 397 candidates, Owerri 136, and Abuja 66.
Oloyede explained that the candidates were selected from 41,027 underage applicants who sat for the 2025 UTME, with only a small number meeting the initial qualification criteria.
“This is not new; other parts of the world have similar practices. We are not reinventing the wheel,” he said during a virtual briefing on Wednesday.
According to subcommittee member Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, the screening will involve subject-based tests, oral interviews, and WAEC result verification.
To qualify, candidates must score at least 320 in UTME, 80% in post-UTME, and 80% (24/30 points) in a single sitting of WAEC or NECO.
JAMB said the move aims to balance academic brilliance with cognitive maturity, curb age falsification, and reduce undue parental pressure.
The policy follows concerns over 599 candidates who scored above 300 in the 2025 UTME but were below the official minimum admission age of 16, prompting the creation of the special screening committee.
The initiative also aligns with the Ministry of Education’s policy on age requirements and seeks to ensure that admitted candidates are mentally and psychologically ready for higher education.
