The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has approved the admission of 85 candidates who fall below the statutory entry age into various tertiary institutions across the country under its exceptional admission policy.
In a statement released on Monday, October 27, 2025, JAMB spokesperson Dr Fabian Benjamin said the board granted the approval after a rigorous screening process that involved 182 finalists shortlisted from 599 underage applicants who scored at least 80 per cent in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
He said the 85 successful candidates emerged after verification of certificates, post-UTME results, and interviews conducted by the board.
Out of the over two million candidates who sat the 2025 UTME, 41,027 had applied under the under-16 category, seeking special consideration.
Benjamin explained that the exceptional admission policy allows rare cases where highly gifted candidates below the official entry age are admitted strictly on merit.
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He said all cleared candidates had been directed to proceed to their respective institutions to complete registration and print their admission letters.
The board also gave a fresh deadline of Wednesday, October 29, 2025, for candidates who scored 320 and above in the UTME but were yet to upload their O-Level results to do so through its online ticketing platform.
JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining transparency, fairness, and global standards in the nation’s admission process.