Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Unveils New Measures for Minors Seeking Admission in 2025/2026 Academic Year
For the 2025/2026 academic session, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and its Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, have established stringent requirements and a thorough screening process for underage candidates (below 16 years) seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
Minimum Age Requirement
Candidates must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2025, to gain regular admission. This policy, directed by the Minister of Education, is intended to ensure cognitive maturity.
Exceptions for Under-16 Candidates
Underage candidates may be admitted only if they are exceptionally brilliant and meet strict academic criteria.
Academic Criteria for Under-16 Consideration
- Minimum UTME score of 320 out of 400 (80%)
- Minimum post-UTME score of 80%
- Minimum of 80% in a single sitting of WAEC or NECO (24 points out of 30)
- Scores from mixed exam bodies are not allowed for this category
Subject Requirements
- Science students must include Mathematics as one of their top subjects
- Arts students must include English
Screening Process
JAMB has identified 599 exceptional underage candidates who scored above 300 but below the minimum age, out of over 41,000 underage UTME candidates. A special technical committee will conduct a rigorous screening from September 22 to 26, 2025, in three centers: Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri.
The screening consists of subject-specific tests followed by a brief oral interview. Institutions must conduct dedicated post-UTME assessments specifically for these under-16 candidates, even if post-UTME is suspended for others.
Purpose
The process is to prevent academic abuse by ensuring only psychologically and emotionally prepared underage candidates gain admission.
Professor Ishaq Oloyede emphasized that JAMB will only forward candidates who meet all benchmarks for further institutional screening, reinforcing a policy that balances academic excellence with maturity.
In summary, to be admitted as an underage candidate in 2025/2026, one must be either at least 16 years old by the cutoff date or be exceptionally brilliant, passing the defined high academic thresholds and rigorous screening by JAMB.
Three centers have been designated for the screening: Lagos, Owerri, and Abuja. The announcement was made by JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede.
- Underage candidates, who aim to be admitted for the 2025/2026 academic session, must be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2025, or be exceptionally brilliant with a minimum UTME score of 320 out of 400, a minimum post-UTME score of 80%, a minimum of 80% in a single sitting of WAEC or NECO, and meet the subject requirements, such as including Mathematics in science subjects and English in arts subjects.
- JAMB has identified 599 exceptional underage candidates who scored above 300 but below the minimum age, out of over 41,000 underage UTME candidates, and will conduct a rigorous screening from September 22 to 26, 2025, in three centers: Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri.
- Institutions must conduct dedicated post-UTME assessments specifically for under-16 candidates, even if post-UTME is suspended for others, as part of the screening process, which includes subject-specific tests and a brief oral interview.
- The screening process is intended to prevent academic abuse by ensuring only psychologically and emotionally prepared underage candidates gain admission, reinforcing a policy that balances academic excellence with maturity, as emphasized by JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede.
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