The assessment will involve subject-specific tests, oral interviews, and WAEC result verification.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will screen over 500 exceptional candidates below 16 years seeking admission into tertiary institutions between September 22 and 26, 2025.
Registrar Ishaq Oloyede said the screening, to be conducted by a special technical committee, will take place in Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri, with Lagos hosting 397 candidates, Owerri 136, and Abuja 66.
Out of 41,027 underage candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), more than 40,000 failed to meet the initial criteria. “People have been doing it in other parts of the world. We are not reinventing the wheel,” Oloyede said.
A subcommittee led by Prof. Taoheed Adedoja said the assessment will involve subject-specific tests, oral interviews, and WAEC result verification. Only candidates scoring at least 320 in UTME, 80% in post-UTME, and 80% in WAEC/NECO will be considered.
Four universities have already opted out of admitting underage students, citing maturity concerns. The policy aligns with the Education Ministry’s directive setting 16 as the minimum entry age for higher institutions.