JAMB Clears 85 Underage Candidates for University Admission

By: Aremu Toyeebaht

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved the admission of 85 underage candidates who excelled in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), following a rigorous special screening process.

The results were released on Monday in a statement by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, who said the screening  conducted on October 8, was designed to ensure that only “exceptional and academically mature” candidates under 16 are admitted into Nigerian tertiary institutions.

“After meticulous evaluation, 85 candidates who are adjudged to be qualified have been duly notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete the admission process and print their individual JAMB admission letters,” the statement read.

According to Benjamin, the screening panel comprised experts from the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), Vice-Chancellors, and representatives from Gifted Schools.

The board clarified that the policy of “exceptional admission” is in line with global best practices, allowing such cases to be treated as rare exceptions.

Of the 2,031,133 UTME applicants this year, 41,027 sought consideration under this special category. Out of these, 599 candidates met the 80% performance threshold in the UTME and were subjected to additional verification, including school certificate and post-UTME reviews.

“Following interviews and further screening, 85 candidates were found to have met the criteria and have consequently been cleared for admission,” JAMB said.

The board also directed 182 shortlisted candidates who missed the final interview to submit a formal request through its Support Ticketing System under the category “2025 Underage Complaint.” Each case, it said, will be reviewed on merit.

In addition, JAMB announced that candidates who scored 320 and above in the UTME but were disqualified for failing to upload their O-Level results now have,two days, until October 29, to upload their results and notify the board.

“The Board reiterates its commitment to ensuring that the admission process remains credible, transparent, and inclusive, while maintaining the integrity of academic standards across all tiers of tertiary education in Nigeria,” the statement added.