The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will screen more than 500 exceptional candidates under 16 seeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session.

The screening exercise is scheduled to hold from September 22 to 26 across three centres: Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri.

Speaking during a virtual meeting on Wednesday, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, provided details on the screening arrangements for underage candidates.

He said Lagos would host 397 candidates, Owerri 136, and Abuja 66.

He stated that out of 41,027 underage candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME, only a small number met the initial qualification criteria.

Mr Oloyede explained that the screening was aimed at selecting only well-prepared and truly exceptional candidates.

He stated, “People have been doing it in other parts of the world. We are not reinventing the wheel.’’

A subcommittee member, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, said that the assessment would involve subject-specific tests followed by a brief oral interview.

He also noted that WAEC result verification would be conducted for shortlisted candidates.

The board stated that the initiative sought to balance academic excellence with cognitive maturity, discourage age falsification, and protect children from excessive parental pressure.

Only candidates who score at least 320 in UTME, 80 per cent in post-UTME, and 80 per cent (24/30 points) in a single WAEC or NECO sitting will be considered.

This move follows concerns over the 599 candidates who scored above 300 in the 2025 UTME but fell below the official minimum admission age of 16, which led to the formation of the screening committee.

The initiative aligns with the Ministry of Education’s policy on age requirements for tertiary admission and aims to ensure that admitted candidates are mentally and psychologically ready for higher education.

(NAN)