The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Wednesday screened 176 underage candidates who scored high marks in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The screening exercise took place simultaneously in Abuja, Lagos, and Owerri. It was aimed at identifying and assessing exceptional candidates below the age of 16 who may qualify for admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
Chairman of the Abuja Centre, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, while addressing journalists, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise. He explained that the screening process involved multiple stages, including a written test and oral interviews.
They started with a written paper that lasted about 20 minutes. After marking, they proceeded to the second and third sessions before we had a face-to-face interaction with them,” Adedoja said.
He disclosed that 22 candidates participated in the Abuja centre, while a total of 176 candidates were screened nationwide.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, commended JAMB for providing a transparent platform for young and talented students to demonstrate their academic ability.
Dandutse reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s education policies, adding that such initiatives would contribute to national development.
In the same vein, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, Hon. Oboku Oforji, who monitored the exercise in Abuja, praised the candidates for their outstanding performance.
He described the young scholars as a source of national pride, noting that their success highlights Nigeria’s competitiveness in education across Africa.
Oforji also hinted that the House Committee is considering a review of the current admission age policy, which has continued to generate public debate.
He assured that the committee would continue to support JAMB and other examination bodies to enable them effectively discharge their responsibilities.
We are impressed with the brilliance of these young candidates. They have shown that age should not be a barrier to academic excellence,” Oforji said.
