The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board will in September screen more than 500 exceptional candidates below the age of 16 who are seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The exercise, scheduled for September 22 to 26, will take place across three centres in Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri. According to JAMB, 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, only a small number met the initial qualification criteria. JAMB said the process aims to select only those who are both academically outstanding and psychologically ready for the demands of higher education.
This move follows concerns over 599 candidates who scored above 300 in the 2025 UTME but did not meet the official minimum admission age of 16.
A JAMB subcommittee explained that the screening will involve subject-specific tests, brief oral interviews, and verification of WAEC results. Candidates must also meet strict qualification requirements, including a minimum UTME score of 320, at least 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.
The board noted that the initiative seeks to balance academic brilliance with emotional maturity, discourage age falsification, and protect children from excessive parental pressure.
A 23-member National Committee on Underage Admission will oversee the process in all three centres. The assessments will go beyond academics to include affective and psychomotor evaluations designed to measure readiness for university life.
