The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved the admission of 85 underage candidates — those who will be below 16 years of age by September 2025 — following a comprehensive screening process conducted under its Exceptional Admission Policy.
In a statement issued by JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin, the Board explained that the candidates were found academically and procedurally qualified after a detailed evaluation and have been notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete their admission formalities and print their official JAMB admission letters.
According to JAMB, the Exceptional Admission Policy reflects global best practices, where underage admissions are treated as rare exceptions rather than standard procedure.
The Board disclosed that during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), a total of 2,031,133 candidates applied for admission across Nigerian tertiary institutions. Out of this figure, 41,027 candidates sought consideration under the underage category.
Of those, 599 candidates scored at least 80 percent in the UTME and were subjected to further scrutiny, including verification of school certificates and assessment of their post-UTME performance.
After the second phase of evaluation, 182 candidates were shortlisted for the final stage of interviews and documentation. Upon conclusion, 85 candidates successfully met all the criteria and were cleared for exceptional admission into their chosen institutions.
JAMB also advised any of the shortlisted 182 candidates who missed the final interview to submit a formal request via the JAMB Support Ticketing System, under the category “2025 Underage Complaint.” The Board emphasized that such cases would be handled individually and strictly on merit.
In addition, candidates who scored 320 and above in the UTME but were previously disqualified for not uploading their O’Level results have been granted a two-day grace period, ending Wednesday, October 29, 2025, to complete the upload and notify the Board through the same ticketing platform.
Reaffirming its dedication to transparency, fairness, and academic integrity, JAMB assured the public that its admission process remains credible, inclusive, and merit-based, while maintaining the standards of tertiary education in Nigeria.
