After a rigorous national screening exercise, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has approved the admission of 85 exceptionally gifted underage candidates for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
A statement released on Monday by JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, noted that the decision came after a comprehensive evaluation process, which identified the successful candidates all under the age of 16 as of September 2025, as “qualified under exceptional circumstances.”
“After meticulous evaluation, 85 candidates adjudged qualified have been duly notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete admission and print their JAMB admission letters, ” He said.
According to the Board, a total of 41,027 applications were received for the special underage category. Out of these, 599 candidates met the initial 80 per cent performance threshold. Following further scrutiny of school certificates and post-UTME results, 182 finalists advanced to the final round, from which 85 candidates ultimately passed.
JAMB further directed any shortlisted candidates who were unable to attend the final interview to submit an appeal through the JAMB Support Ticketing System, selecting the category’ ‘2025 Underage Complaint.’
Additionally, candidates who scored 320 and above but failed to upload their O-Level results have been granted a two-day grace period until Wednesday, 29 October 2025, to complete the process.
Reaffirming its zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice, the Board emphasised that this exceptional admission policy aligns with global best practices, treating such cases as rare academic exemptions while maintaining the integrity and standards of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
