The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disclosed four requirements for underage candidates to get admission into tertiary institutions in the country.
This was disclosed at a stakeholders meeting held on Wednesday on modalities for processing admission of underage candidates into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
According to the guidelines, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa has directed that the minimum admissible age for admission into tertiary institutions is 16 years to balance between cognitive maturity and academic preparedness.
However, exceptions can be made for “exceptionally brilliant” candidates who meet specific criteria.
“This policy decision reflects a balance between cognitive maturity and academic preparedness. Sixteen is non-negotiable. Institutions are hereby directed to ensure strict compliance.”
“We understand there may be a few exceptional cases, and provisions have already been made for legitimate exceptions, especially for gifted children or those with accelerated educational pathways. However, these must be clearly demonstrated, documented and justified,” the minister was quoted.
The guideline noted that, among other requirements, candidates must be at least 16 years old by the 30th of September 2025 to gain admission.
It, however, explained that candidates who may be less than 16 years old must have been declared by JAMB as an exceptionally brilliant candidate after fulfilling four requirements.
This includes scoring not less than 80 percent in UTME (320) or A-Level, scoring not less than 80% in post-UTME, scoring not less than 80 percent in Senior School Certificate, and scoring not less than 80 per cent in an exceptional candidates’ interview by an independent panel of experts.
JAMB noted that it has forwarded lists of underage candidates scoring not less than 320 in the 2025 UTME to their chosen institutions.
“If the regulations do not allow admission of a candidate less than 16, the institutions are not obliged to accept the candidate, but to indicate unwillingness,” it said.
It disclosed that so far, the Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, University of Jos and Osun State University have indicated unwillingness to allow underage admission.
The Board noted that institutions willing to go ahead with the admission are expected to screen the candidates and provide JAMB with their Post-UTME score and/or SSSCE grades in percentage.
It noted that a technical committee has been inaugurated to manage underage candidate admissions, conduct interviews from September 15-19, 2025, and determine final admission modalities.
“Responsibilities of the technical committee include developing a comprehensive approach for managing the admission of underage candidates. “Conducting interviews for the underage candidates and determining modalities for the final stage of admission for this category of candidates,” it said.
The locations of the interview include Abuja for all states in North East, North West and North Central, excluding Kwara State.
For all states in the South West, including Kwara State, the location for the interview is Lagos State and Owerri for all states in the South East and South South.
The meeting referenced several factors leading to the current situation on underage admissions, including the elimination of the First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC), unofficial abrogation of Primary 6 (Basic 6 or Mid-Basic III), proliferation of Special (Tutorial) Schools, double promotion in private schools, “cascading” movement of pupils (“Monkey Jump”), disarticulation of biological age from emotional age, and child achievement being a boost to parental ego.
