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JAMB To Screen 500+ Underage Candidates For 2025 Admission

Published on August 13, 2025

JAMB will screen over 500 exceptional candidates under 16 for 2025/2026 tertiary admission between September 22 and 26 across Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced plans to screen over 500 exceptional candidates below the age of 16 who are seeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.

Also read: LASUSTECH Admission 2025/2026: A Step-by-Step Guide for Aspiring Students

The special screening exercise, scheduled for September 22 to 26, will be conducted by a technical committee established by JAMB to assess the readiness of these underage candidates.

According to JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the exercise aims to ensure that only academically gifted and emotionally mature candidates below the age threshold are considered for admission.

The screening will take place across three centres:

Lagos – 397 candidates
Owerri – 136 candidates
Abuja – 66 candidates

Oloyede explained that while 41,027 underage candidates registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), only a fraction showed the exceptional academic strength required for admission consideration.

“We are not reinventing the wheel,” said Oloyede. “Other countries assess gifted underage learners; we are doing the same, carefully.”

The subcommittee overseeing the screening, led by Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, disclosed that the assessment will involve subject-specific tests and a brief oral interview.

Candidates must meet strict academic benchmarks to qualify:

Minimum UTME score of 320 (80%)
At least 80% in post-UTME assessments
A minimum of 80% (24/30 points) in one sitting of WAEC or NECO

Additionally, the committee will verify candidates’ eligibility with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

This move comes after 599 underage candidates who scored above 300 in the 2025 UTME were flagged, as the Federal Ministry of Education maintains that the minimum age for tertiary admission is 16.

Some universities—including the Air Force Institute of Technology (Kaduna), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (Bauchi), University of Jos, and Osun State University—have already indicated they will not admit underage candidates under any condition.

JAMB clarified that the goal is not to penalise brilliant students but to balance academic excellence with emotional and psychological maturity.

“This policy helps prevent age falsification and shields children from undue parental pressure,” the board stated.

Participants at the virtual policy meeting included representatives from: