The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has screened 176 outstanding underage candidates who scored high marks in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), amid renewed calls for a review of the nation’s admission age policy.
The special screening exercise, held simultaneously in Abuja, Lagos, and Owerri, was organised to assess brilliant candidates below the age of 16 who may be considered for admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
Speaking during the exercise in Abuja, Chairman of the Abuja Centre and former Minister of Sports, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, expressed satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the process. He explained that the screening involved a written test followed by multiple assessment stages, including a face-to-face interview.
“They did the first paper, which took about 20 minutes, after which the scripts were marked. They then moved to the second and third sessions before proceeding to an interactive session with the panel,” Adedoja stated.
He disclosed that 22 candidates participated in the Abuja centre, while 176 candidates were screened nationwide.
Also speaking after monitoring the exercise, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, commended JAMB for its commitment to fairness, transparency, and talent development. He reaffirmed the National Assembly’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s education reform agenda aimed at fostering national development.
Similarly, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, Hon. Oboku Oforji, praised the exceptional performance of the young candidates, describing them as a source of national pride and evidence of Nigeria’s educational competitiveness across Africa.
Oforji also revealed that the committee is considering a review of the controversial admission age policy to accommodate exceptionally gifted students without compromising academic standards.
He assured that the National Assembly would continue to support JAMB and other examination bodies in fulfilling their mandates effectively.
