Otamere Gladness 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved the admission of 85 exceptionally gifted underage candidates for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) after a rigorous national screening exercise.
In a statement issued on Monday, JAMB Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said the move follows a comprehensive evaluation that identified the successful students — all under 16 years of age as of September 2025 — as “qualified under exceptional circumstances.”
“After meticulous evaluation, 85 candidates adjudged qualified have been duly notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete admission and print their JAMB admission letters,” Benjamin stated.
According to the Board, 41,027 applicants applied for the special category, with 599 candidates meeting the 80 per cent threshold. After additional scrutiny of school certificates and post-UTME results, 182 finalists emerged, of which 85 passed the final stage.
JAMB directed any shortlisted candidates who missed the final interview to submit a request via the JAMB Support Ticketing System under the ‘2025 Underage Complaint’ category.
It also offered candidates who scored 320 and above but failed to upload their O-Level results until Wednesday, 29 October 2025, a two-day grace to complete the process.
Reaffirming its zero-tolerance for malpractice, JAMB said the exceptional admission policy follows global best practices, treating such cases as rare academic exemptions while preserving Nigeria’s tertiary education standards.
About the Author
Mirian Gom