The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is set to commence the screening of over 500 outstanding candidates below the age of 16 who are seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
The exercise will run from September 22 to 26, in line with the Ministry of Education’s policy stipulating 16 years as the minimum entry age for higher education.
According to Ireporter Online, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, revealed that the screening will take place in three locations — Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri — with Lagos hosting 397 candidates, Owerri 136, and Abuja 66. 
Out of the 41,027 underage candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), more than 40,000 did not meet the initial requirements, leaving only the most exceptional to proceed.
A subcommittee led by Prof. Taoheed Adedoja recommended that shortlisted candidates undergo subject-specific tests followed by a brief oral interview, with results from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) requested to further verify eligibility.
According to Ireporter Online, the board has set a high benchmark: a minimum UTME score of 320 (80%), at least 80% in post-UTME, and a minimum of 80% (24 out of 30 points) in a single WAEC or NECO sitting.
Four institutions — the Air Force Institute of Technology, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, the University of Jos, and Osun State University — have already declared they will not admit underage students under any circumstances.
According to Ireporter Online, JAMB maintains that the initiative aims to balance academic brilliance with emotional and psychological readiness, deter age falsification, and shield young learners from undue parental
