The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has granted approval for 85 underage candidates to gain exceptional admission into tertiary institutions after successfully completing its comprehensive screening exercise.
In a statement released on Monday by JAMB’s Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Board said the approved candidates—each below 16 years of age as of September 2025—were selected following a meticulous, multi-stage evaluation.
“After thorough assessment, 85 candidates have been adjudged qualified and duly notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete the admission process and print their admission letters,” the statement read.
JAMB noted that the exceptional admission policy aligns with global best practices, where underage admissions are treated as rare exceptions.
Out of 2,031,133 candidates who took part in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), 41,027 applied for consideration under the special category. Of these, 599 scored 80 percent or higher in the UTME and underwent further screening of their school certificates and post-UTME results.
Following additional verification and interviews, 182 candidates made it to the final stage, and 85 were ultimately cleared for admission.
JAMB advised any of the 182 finalists who missed the final interview to submit a formal request through its online support system under the “2025 Underage Complaint” category, assuring that each case would be treated individually.
The Board also gave a 48-hour grace period—ending Wednesday, October 29, 2025—for candidates who scored 320 and above but were disqualified for not uploading their O-Level results to complete the process and notify JAMB through its ticketing platform.
Reaffirming its commitment to fairness, transparency, and academic integrity, JAMB said the process reflects its dedication to inclusive and merit-based admissions.
Earlier in October, the Board had announced that only candidates who would be at least 16 years old by August 2025 would qualify for tertiary admission, in line with a new Ministry of Education policy setting 18 as the minimum age requirement.
The policy sparked widespread controversy and legal action, prompting a court injunction obtained by former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Warri branch chairman, John Aikpokpo-Martins, which halted the enforcement of the directive.
Following the court’s ruling, JAMB instituted a special screening to accommodate underage candidates with exceptional academic performance.
