The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced that candidates younger than 16 can be considered for admission into universities if they show exceptional academic performance by scoring 80% or higher on the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Since the UTME is scored out of 400, that means they need at least 320 marks.
This change comes after the previous requirement of being at least 18 years old for admission, which was set by former Education Minister Tahir Mamman.
The current minister, Olatunji Alausa, has brought back the 16-year age limit, a decision that has received a lot of support from those in the education field.
Recently, during a meeting with important stakeholders like Chief External Examiners, Chief Technical Advisors, and the Equal Opportunity Group, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, mentioned that the standard age requirement of 16 still stands, but there’s a possibility for exceptional candidates younger than that to be admitted under specific conditions.
In a transcript from the meeting shared in JAMB’s bulletin, Oloyede emphasized, “This is about complying with the law. Age plays a crucial role in maturity and academic development. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have age limits for leadership positions such as local government chairman. Biological age is linked to intellectual growth, and while rules exist, there must be room for exceptions.
“The Minister of Education has clearly stated that the minimum age for admission remains 16. However, we acknowledge that some gifted children exist. These individuals should not be overlooked. We must identify them and allow them to sit for the exams.”
Oloyede pointed out that top-notch students need to show impressive academic skills across various tests like the UTME, WASSCE, Post-UTME, and GCE O/Level.
He questioned whether a candidate under 16 who scores 200 out of 400 in the UTME can really be seen as exceptional. But if they hit 80% (320/400), that definitely shows remarkable talent and deserves attention, he noted.
He also raised concerns about private universities admitting younger students, mentioning that many of them struggle academically, with around 80% eventually switching to different programs due to poor grades.
Oloyede criticized parents who manipulate birth records to get their kids admitted early, only to later try to change their ages for the National Youth Service Corps eligibility. Recently in Lagos, the JAMB Registrar announced that a mock UTME would be available for underage candidates.
He clarified that this mock exam isn’t for college admission but is meant for younger students to assess their skills.
“We are starting the sale of forms on the 31st of January till 5th of March. There will be a mock exam on the 23rd of February and on the 8th of March there will be UTME,” the JAMB Registrar said.