Candidates below the age of 16 seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions will face stricter conditions under a clarification issued by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
JAMB said under-16 candidates may still sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), but they will be treated as underage candidates during the admission process.
The policy applies to candidates who are younger than 16 as of September 30 of the relevant admission year. The age threshold was instituted by the Federal Ministry of Education as part of the requirements governing admission into tertiary institutions.
While underage candidates can take the UTME, JAMB explained that they are generally not considered for admission. An exception may be made for candidates who meet the requirements for what the board describes as exceptional cases.
For such candidates to be considered, JAMB said they must achieve at least 80 per cent in each of three areas: the UTME, Post-UTME and O’Level screening. Falling short of the benchmark in any one of the three stages would make the candidate ineligible for consideration under the exceptional category.
However, scoring 80 per cent across the required assessments does not mean admission is guaranteed. JAMB stressed that the final decision remains with the tertiary institution selected by the candidate.
The clarification was issued through JAMB’s public education initiative, JAMB Explained, to provide clearer guidance to exceptionally young candidates and their families navigating the Nigerian tertiary admission process.
The policy effectively places a much higher academic hurdle before candidates seeking admission before turning 16, making exceptional admission a possibility rather than an automatic route for exceptionally young students.
