JAMB screens 176 brilliant underage candidates across Nigeria for possible 2025 university admission, testing their maturity and academic excellence

JAMB underage candidates who scored exceptionally high marks in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have undergone a special screening exercise to assess their readiness for university admission.

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The screening, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), targeted gifted students below the official admission age of 16 and was conducted across Abuja, Lagos, and Owerri for the 2025/2026 academic session.

According to Professor Taoheed Adedoja, Chairman of the Abuja screening centre and former Minister of Sports, the process featured a written test, oral interviews, and direct interactions with candidates.

He confirmed that 22 candidates were screened in Abuja and 176 nationwide, noting that the JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, would determine when the final results would be released.

Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, commended the initiative, describing it as a bold step towards recognising and nurturing exceptional young talent.

He stressed the importance of evaluating the students’ maturity before granting them university admission.

“It’s essential to test their readiness for the demands of higher education. Only those who demonstrate both intellectual ability and emotional maturity should be allowed to proceed,” he said.

Similarly, Hon. Oboku Oforji, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, lauded the underage students for their outstanding performance, calling it a positive reflection of Nigeria’s education system.

In the South-East and South-South zones, the exercise was supervised by Professor Paulinus Okwelle, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), who expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the candidates and adherence to JAMB’s guidelines.

In Nigeria, the minimum age for university admission is 16, though many students typically gain entry at 18 or older. Out of over 41,000 underage applicants for the 2025 UTME, 599 scored 80 percent and above, but only 176 met all criteria for the final screening.

The national panel overseeing the exercise comprised representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), Vice Chancellors, and Gifted Schools whose students participated in the process.

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The screening marks another progressive step by JAMB in balancing academic brilliance with social maturity, ensuring that the nation’s youngest scholars are adequately prepared for university life.