By Anita John 
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) today screened 176 exceptional underage candidates who scored high marks during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) across Nigeria.
The special screening, held simultaneously in Abuja, Lagos, and Owerri, was designed to assess outstanding candidates below the age of 16 seeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.
Chairman of the Abuja Centre, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, said the exercise went smoothly, explaining that each candidate sat for a short written examination before facing an interview panel.
“They did the first paper, which took about 20 minutes, after which the scripts were marked. They then proceeded to the second and third sessions, followed by direct interaction with the panel,” Adedoja said.
He noted that 22 candidates took part in the Abuja session, while 176 were screened nationwide. The JAMB Registrar, he added, would announce the date for the release of results.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, who monitored the exercise, commended JAMB for creating an avenue for gifted underage students to showcase their abilities.
“It is important that they are properly assessed because of issues of maturity and focus. If an underage student enters university and fails to cope, it becomes a wasted effort. This assessment ensures that only the best are selected,” he said.
Dandutse reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s education policies, praising JAMB’s transparency and consistency.
Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, Hon. Oboku Oforji, applauded the candidates’ performance, saying it reflects Nigeria’s growing competitiveness in education across Africa.
At the Owerri Centre, 38 of the 43 shortlisted candidates participated. The panel chairman and Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Okwelle, said he was impressed by the candidates’ conduct and reaffirmed that the process followed JAMB’s strict guidelines. Candidates in Owerri were drawn from the South-East and South-South regions.
While the official age for university admission in Nigeria is 18, the National Policy on Education permits entry from 16. Out of 41,027 candidates who registered as exceptionally brilliant underage students for the 2025 UTME, 599 scored 80 percent and above, with 176 eventually qualifying for the final assessment.
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Editorial Staff