The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has set admission criteria for 599 underage candidates who scored 320 and above in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Despite being underage, these candidates have demonstrated exceptional brilliance, and JAMB is considering admitting them into tertiary institutions. The board has inaugurated a committee to oversee the process, which will determine the modalities for selecting “specially gifted candidates”.
According to the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the committee will consider the school certificates and post-UTME scores of the candidates. To be eligible, candidates must have scored at least 80% in their school certificates and meet the institution’s post-UTME score requirements. The institutions will submit the post-UTME scores of the candidates by September 16, and any candidate who scores below 80 will be disqualified. The committee will then decide on the dates and modalities for determining the specially gifted candidates.
The committee, which includes vice-chancellors of Nigerian universities, regulatory agencies, and experts in education, will sit in Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri to deliberate on the admission process. Prof. Oloyede emphasized that the committee’s task is to identify exceptionally brilliant candidates who can benefit from early admission into tertiary institutions. He noted that the process would be transparent and fair, thanks to the quality of the committee members.
The JAMB registrar urged parents to desist from desperation to send their children and wards at tender ages into tertiary institutions. He emphasized that children need time to develop naturally and mature, and that early admission could be detrimental to their well-being. He also cautioned against bribery to gain admission, saying that it was an anomaly to introduce the younger generation into the world of crime.
The JAMB’s decision to consider admitting underage candidates who scored exceptionally well in the UTME is a welcome development. The board’s emphasis on transparency and fairness in the admission process is commendable. As the committee deliberates on the admission process, it is expected that the selected candidates will be given the opportunity to excel in their chosen fields.
