JAMB approves exceptional admission for 85 underage candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved the admission of 85 underage candidates who successfully completed its special screening process for exceptional admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Monday by its Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB explained that the cleared candidates—all below 16 years of age as of September 2025—were selected after a rigorous multi-stage evaluation process.

“After meticulous assessment, 85 candidates were adjudged qualified and have been duly notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete the admission process and print their JAMB admission letters,” the statement said.

According to the Board, the exceptional admission policy aligns with global best practices, where such cases are treated as rare exceptions rather than the norm.

Out of 2,031,133 applicants who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), 41,027 sought to be considered under the special category for underage candidates.

Of these, 599 scored 80 percent or above in the UTME and were subsequently subjected to additional scrutiny, including verification of school certificates and post-UTME results.

Following further interviews and background checks, 182 candidates advanced to the final stage, and 85 were ultimately cleared for admission.

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JAMB directed any of the 182 finalists who missed the final interview to submit a formal request through its online support system under the category “2025 Underage Complaint.”

Each case, the Board said, would be reviewed on its own merit.

Additionally, JAMB granted a two-day window—ending Wednesday, October 29, 2025—for candidates who scored 320 and above but were disqualified for failing to upload their O-Level results to do so and notify the Board via the ticketing platform.

The Board reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, fairness, and academic integrity in the admission process.

Earlier in October, JAMB had reiterated that only candidates who would be at least 16 years old by August 2025 would be eligible for admission into tertiary institutions, in line with a new Ministry of Education policy setting 18 as the official minimum age.

The directive, which sparked nationwide criticism, was later challenged in court by former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Warri branch chairman, John Aikpokpo-Martins.

Following the court’s intervention, JAMB introduced the special screening process to consider underage candidates for exceptional admission.