JAMB
By Iyunade Grace
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cleared 85 underage candidates for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria for the 2025/2026 academic session. These candidates, who are below the age of 16 by September 2025, successfully passed a rigorous multi-stage screening process designed to identify exceptionally brilliant students.
The board announced the release of the results in a statement signed by its Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin. According to Benjamin, the 85 candidates were adjudged qualified following a meticulous evaluation and have been duly notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete the admission process and print their individual JAMB admission letters.
The screening process was comprehensive, involving representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), Vice-Chancellors, and the Gifted School, among others. A total of 2,031,133 candidates applied for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with 41,027 seeking consideration under the special underage category. Of these, 599 candidates scored at least 80% in the UTME and were subjected to further scrutiny, including verification of school certificates and Post-UTME performance.
After the final round of interviews and checks, 85 candidates emerged successful and were cleared for admission. JAMB emphasized that this exceptional admission policy aligns with global best practices, where underage admissions are treated as rare exceptions rather than the norm. The board also reiterated its commitment to ensuring that the admission process remains credible, transparent, and inclusive while maintaining academic integrity.
In a related development, JAMB has given candidates who scored 320 and above in the UTME but failed to upload their O-Level results a two-day grace period, ending October 29, 2025, to complete the upload and notify the board through the same ticketing system. The board will review individual cases and make decisions strictly on merit.
JAMB’s exceptional admission policy recognizes extraordinary intellectual maturity among a few candidates who have demonstrated readiness for tertiary education ahead of the statutory age. This move underscores the board’s commitment to fairness and academic integrity in the admission process.
