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JAMB Raises Bar for Under-16 Admission as 599 Gifted Candidates Score Above 320 in UTME

In a bold move to curb what it describes as "academic abuse," the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has introduced tougher admission criteria for under-16 candidates seeking entry into Nigerian universities.

Under the new policy, only exceptionally gifted students below the age of 16 will be considered for admission — and only if they meet rigorous academic benchmarks.

To qualify, candidates must:

Score a minimum of 320 out of 400 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME),

Achieve at least 80% in their post-UTME assessments,

Secure not less than 80% in one sitting of either WAEC or NECO (equivalent to 24 points out of 30),

And pass a dedicated admission interview conducted by the institution.

The announcement came during a virtual policy meeting chaired by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who also inaugurated a 24-member screening committee to evaluate 599 underage candidates who met the 320+ UTME score threshold this year.

“We will no longer accept emotionally and psychologically unprepared children being thrown into the rigours of university life,” Oloyede warned, adding that the Board is prioritising balanced development over premature academic advancement.

The policy, endorsed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, aims to discourage the growing trend of underage admissions while preserving opportunities for truly exceptional students.

The registrar emphasized that mixing results from different examination bodies, such as combining WAEC and NECO scores, will not be allowed for under-16 applicants. Furthermore, science students must have Mathematics among their top five subjects, while Arts students must include English.

“Institutions must now assess all under-16 applicants through a special post-UTME, even if the school no longer conducts post-UTME for the general population,” Oloyede directed.

The latest data shows that out of over 38,000 underage applicants, only 599 candidates scored above the 320 mark in the 2025 UTME, reinforcing the need for tighter admission scrutiny.

Meanwhile, some universities, including the Air Force Institute of Technology (Kaduna), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (Bauchi), University of Jos, and Osun State University, have reiterated their strict no-admission policy for underage applicants.

The move aligns with the federal policy that pegs 16 years as the minimum age for university admission, with limited exceptions for academically outstanding minors who meet stringent conditions.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna