JAMB to Screen 599 Gifted Under-16 Candidates for 2025/2026 University Admission

By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced an exclusive high-performance screening exercise aimed at admitting 599 academically gifted candidates under the age of 16 into Nigeria’s leading universities and polytechnics for the 2025/2026 academic session.

This special initiative, scheduled to run from September 22nd to 26th, 2025, marks a strategic intervention to ensure that exceptional young scholars who have surpassed national academic benchmarks are given the opportunity to further their studies in line with merit-based admission principles. The screening will be conducted under the strict supervision of a Special Technical Committee to guarantee full compliance with the Federal Ministry of Education’s admission guidelines.

Rationale Behind the Initiative

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, speaking during a virtual stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday, said the exercise is designed to uphold academic excellence, protect admission integrity, and align Nigeria’s tertiary education system with international best practices.

According to him, despite the national minimum admission age of 16, a significant number of prodigious students under this threshold consistently excel in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Out of the 41,027 under-16 candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME, over 40,000 failed to meet the strict performance requirements for early admission consideration. This left only a select group of 599 candidates eligible for the upcoming screening.

“These are not ordinary candidates. They are the top percentile among their peers, demonstrating exceptional cognitive ability and readiness for higher education. This exercise is about recognising and nurturing that talent responsibly,” Prof. Oloyede stated.

Screening Centres and Distribution

The candidates will be assessed in three designated centres across Nigeria, each hosting candidates from different geographical zones:

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

This decentralised structure is intended to reduce travel stress for the young participants and maintain efficient, standardised evaluation across all locations.

Eligibility Requirements

Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Chairman of the Screening Subcommittee, outlined the rigorous criteria for participation:

• Minimum UTME score of 320 (equivalent to 80%)
• At least 80% in post-UTME assessments
• A minimum of 80% (24/30 points) in WAEC or NECO results obtained in a single sitting

The evaluation process will consist of:

1. Subject-specific written tests tailored to the candidate’s chosen field of study
2. A brief oral interview to assess communication skills, maturity, and academic focus
3. Verification of WAEC or NECO results for authenticity and compliance

Universities Maintaining Strict Age Policies

While this initiative has been welcomed by many institutions, four universities have categorically declined to admit candidates below the age of 16, irrespective of their academic scores. These are:

• Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna (AFIT)
• Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (ATBU)
• University of Jos (UNIJOS)
• Osun State University (UNIOSUN)

The stance aligns with the Federal Ministry of Education’s policy, which maintains the admission age limit at 16 years to protect students’ mental, emotional, and psychological development.

National Context and Significance

The 2025 UTME attracted 1.955 million candidates nationwide. Of these, 599 scored above 300 but were below the age limit—prompting JAMB’s special concession. The initiative is expected to set a precedent in balancing academic merit with student welfare.

Education analysts have hailed the move as an important step in retaining top talent within Nigeria, rather than losing such exceptional students to foreign institutions offering early college entry. However, they caution that psychosocial readiness must remain a key factor in determining final admissions.

This targeted screening not only underscores JAMB’s commitment to fairness and excellence in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector but also reignites debate over the balance between age policies and intellectual advancement. As the screening unfolds in September, all eyes will be on whether this model can become a sustainable pathway for nurturing Nigeria’s youngest academic prodigies without compromising their holistic development.

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