Over 41,000 candidates below the age of 16 have registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), according to data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
This figure is part of the record-breaking 2.03 million total registrations for this year’s examination.
Despite the reinstated policy setting 16 as the minimum age for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions, JAMB has allowed these underage candidates to register.
However, admission for these candidates is contingent upon meeting stringent academic criteria.
Specifically, they must score at least 80%, equivalent to 320 out of 400 marks in the UTME.
Additionally, they are expected to excel in post-UTME screenings and possess strong O’Level results.
JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede noted that both the Board and the parents of underage candidates have signed undertakings acknowledging these conditions.
He stated that the provision for underage candidates is intended solely for exceptionally gifted students and warned against its misuse.
This policy reverses a mandatory age requirement of 18 years that was introduced by former Education Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman.
The return to the 16-year age benchmark has received broad support from education stakeholders.
In a related development, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced that by November 2025, both the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) would begin administering their objective tests via Computer-Based Testing (CBT).
By the May/June 2026 examination season, both the objective and essay components of these exams are expected to fully transition to CBT.
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