The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has introduced more challenging entry conditions for candidates below the standard admission age, escalating a long-running debate over regulation and readiness in Nigeria’s tertiary admissions.
Under the new measures, “underage” applicants must score at least 320/400 in UTME, attain 80% in a single sitting of WAEC or NECO (24/30 points), and secure 80% in post-UTME. Even with this, successful candidates will still face a national screening panel in Abuja, Lagos, or Owerri.
JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, said the policy targets “academic abuse” by preventing psychologically and emotionally unprepared students from entering university. However, the board has been criticised for this move, with some members of the public arguing JAMB has not disclosed data proving widespread underperformance among younger entrants.
They point to 599 candidates, out of roughly two million test-takers, who already met the high bar this year, questioning the need for additional screening and lamenting added travel and testing costs for families. The escalation follows last year’s aborted directive by then Education Minister Tahir Mamman to peg university admission at age 18, a decision reversed after backlash.
Policy analysts argue that durable fixes lie upstream: enforce age-six entry into primary one, curb “double promotions,” ensure five years of primary schooling, and set 11–12 as baseline for secondary entry, with phased enforcement from a future date.
They also urge schools and JAMB to prioritise holistic development beyond examinations and expand extracurricular activities and counselling.
