The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) today Wednesday conducted a screening for 176 outstanding underage candidates who achieved high scores in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This screening initiative aimed to ensure that only the most exceptional and well-prepared candidates under the age of 16 are eligible for admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session. The process was managed by a team of experts selected by the examination body.
In an interview with journalists in Abuja, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, the Chairman of the Abuja Centre overseeing the screening of under-16 candidates, expressed his satisfaction with the smooth execution of the exercise, which took place concurrently in Owerri and Lagos.
Regarding the screening procedure, Prof. Adedoja detailed that candidates first participated in a written examination, followed by individual face-to-face interviews.
“They did the first paper which took like 20 minutes and after that the papers were marked and they proceeded to the second session and after that the third one and we will have a face to face interaction with them,” he said.
The former Minister of Sports noted that 22 candidates participated in the Abuja centre, while 176 candidates took part nationwide.
“22 candidates are here in Abuja centre, and nationwide is 176,” he said, adding that the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, would determine when the results of the screening would be released.
Also speaking after monitoring the exercise, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, commended JAMB for providing a platform for talented underage candidates to demonstrate their abilities.
“Now they are giving leverage to the underage so that they can go to the universities based on their ability to pass these exams.
“It is very important for them (underage) to be assessed because of the maturity of focus…, because if you take underage to go to the university and doesn’t perform, it is a useless venture. So it is better that the exam is carried out so that the best talent can be selected and it will pave the way for the development of this country,” the lawmaker, who represents Katsina South Senatorial District, said.
Dandutse also reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s education policies aimed at national development, while commending JAMB for its consistency and transparency.
“I want to sincerely commend the leadership of JAMB for their milestone to make sure that this exam is written across the country,” he said.
On his part, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, Hon. Oboku Oforji, who also monitored the exercise in Abuja, lauded the students for their outstanding performance, noting that it reflects Nigeria’s competitiveness in education across Africa.
“’Because for the underage, to have performed exceptionally well, it tells how we are doing in education as of today. And we are very proud of the agency-JAMB, and we want to encourage them to do more. Even though we believe that with what we sighted, more is supposed to be encouraged, ” Offorji, who was joined by his committee members, said.
Meanwhile, a total of 38 out of 43 shortlisted underage candidates participated in the screening exercise at the Owerri Centre.
Chairman of the Owerri Centre and Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Okwelle, expressed satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the exercise.
He commended the candidates for their orderly behaviour and assured that the screening process would strictly adhere to the guidelines provided by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The under-16 candidates at the Owerri Centre, were drawn from the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones.
Recall that in Nigeria, the official age for university admission is 18, though the National Policy allows entry from age 16.
A total of 41,027 candidates applied under the category of exceptionally brilliant underage candidates for the 2025 UTME, but only 599 scored 80 percent and above.
Some were later disqualified for not meeting the same benchmark in their O-Level or Post-UTME results, leaving only 176 confirmed for final assessment.
The screening panel comprised representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), Vice Chancellors, the Gifted School, among others.
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