The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that exceptionally gifted candidates under the age of 16 may be granted admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions, provided they score at least 320 out of 400 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
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JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed this during a meeting with key stakeholders, including Chief External Examiners, Chief Technical Advisors, and members of the Equal Opportunity Group.
He emphasized that while 16 remains the standard admission age, there should be provisions for outstanding students below this age to access higher education under strict guidelines.
He clarified that these candidates must demonstrate exceptional academic performance beyond the UTME, excelling in other assessments such as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Post-UTME, and General Certificate Examination (GCE O’Level).
To ensure readiness, JAMB has introduced a mock UTME for students below the official admission age.
Oloyede further announced that the sale of UTME forms will begin on January 31 and end on March 5, with a mock UTME set for February 23 and the main examination scheduled for March 8.
The policy change follows the reversal of the mandatory 18-year minimum admission age introduced by former Minister of Education Tahir Mamman. The current Minister, Olatunji Alausa, has reinstated the 16-year benchmark, allowing exceptionally gifted younger candidates a chance at university education.
