JAMB clears 85 under-age candidates for exceptional admission
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cleared 85 under-age candidates for admission into tertiary institutions under its “exceptional admission” policy. These candidates were all under 16 years of age as of September 2025, but underwent a strict multi-stage screening process before being approved for admission.
According to a statement by the Board’s spokesperson Fabian Benjamin, the programme began with 41,027 applicants seeking under-age consideration out of those who sat the 2025 UTME. From that number, 599 candidates scored at least 80 per cent in the exam, which qualified them for further evaluation including verification of school certificates, post-UTME or equivalent screening, and final interviews. From the 599, a shortlist of 182 finalists emerged, and after full verification and interviews 85 candidates were adjudged fully qualified for admission.
JAMB emphasised that this exceptional admission pathway is not a relaxation of standards but a recognition of rare, extraordinarily gifted individuals who meet the criteria. The Board stressed that such admissions remain an exception rather than the norm.
For those among the 182 finalists who missed the final interview stage for valid reasons, JAMB created a support avenue via its ticketing system under the category “2025 Underage Complaint”, allowing each case to be reviewed on its individual merit.
