By Obasola Olatunde
Weeks after public uproar over its new age policy, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has granted exceptional admission approval to 85 underage candidates who met its special criteria for tertiary education entry.
The decision follows a rigorous screening process set up by JAMB to consider candidates younger than 16 years who had excelled in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) but were affected by the newly enforced age restriction.
In a statement on Monday, JAMB’s Head of Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said the board carefully reviewed the academic and psychological readiness of each applicant before granting clearance.
“After meticulous evaluation, 85 candidates adjudged to be qualified have been duly notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete the admission process,” the statement read.
Out of 41,027 applicants who sought consideration under the special category, 599 scored above 80% in the UTME. After further certificate verification and interviews, only 85 were cleared as exceptional cases.
The special admission exercise comes after a court injunction restrained JAMB from fully implementing the Federal Ministry of Education’s directive setting 18 years as the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions.
Legal and education experts had criticized the policy, describing it as unrealistic in a country where many students finish secondary school before 16.
JAMB clarified that the exceptional admission policy would remain a rare exception, aligning with global best practices that allow gifted students to advance earlier under strict conditions.
The board also reopened its support portal for 182 candidates who missed the final interview and gave a two day grace for those with missing O’Level results to upload them before October 29, 2025.
JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, inclusiveness, and academic integrity, even as the debate over age restrictions in Nigeria’s education system continues.