The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has inaugurated a special committee to assess 599 underage candidates who scored 320 and above in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), raising eyebrows over age restrictions in Nigeria’s higher education system.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, revealed this on Wednesday during the inaugural meeting of the committee in Bwari, Abuja.
Oloyede explained that the panel will determine the process for identifying and admitting “specially gifted candidates,” even though they are below the minimum admission age of 16 years.
“We know that 16 years is the minimum for admissions, but we should be able to pick one or two that are very brilliant to encourage them,” he stated.
The committee—comprising vice-chancellors, regulatory agencies, and education experts—will screen the academic credentials of these prodigies and shortlist candidates based on strict performance criteria. To qualify, candidates must:
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Have at least 80% in their school certificate results
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Score 80% and above in their institution’s post-UTME
Institutions have been given until September 16 to submit their post-UTME scores.
The panel will hold sessions in Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri, and final selections will be announced before the end of September.
Despite the initiative, Prof. Oloyede cautioned parents against rushing their children into tertiary institutions.
“Children need time to develop and mature naturally,” he warned, adding that pushing them too early could do more harm than good.
He also condemned any attempts to bribe officials or game the system, noting that such desperation only exposes children to unethical practices early in life.
Oloyede assured the public that the selection process would be transparent, merit-based, and strictly supervised.
