JAMB Clears 85 Underage Candidates for Exceptional Admission in 2025
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially cleared 85 underage candidates for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions after a special screening process.
These candidates, all younger than 16 years as of September 2025, were approved under JAMB “Exceptional Admission Policy” following a rigorous evaluation exercise.
JAMB Statement on Exceptional Admission
In a statement released on Monday by the Board’s Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB confirmed that the 85 successful candidates were found eligible after a detailed multi-stage screening process.
“After thorough evaluation, 85 candidates have been adjudged qualified and have been
duly notified to proceed to their respective institutions to finalize admission procedures
and print their official JAMB admission letters,” the statement read.
The Board explained that this special admission process is in line with international best practices,
where exceptional cases are considered on merit rather than as standard policy.
Breakdown of the Selection Process
Out of the 2,031,133 applicants who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME),
41,027 candidates sought to be considered under this special underage category.
From this pool:
- 599 candidates scored 80% and above in the UTME.
- After further screening of their O’Level and Post-UTME results, 182 were shortlisted.
- Following interviews and final verification, 85 candidates met the Board’s criteria.
The 85 cleared students have now been given approval to proceed with their tertiary education.
What Happens to the Remaining Candidates?
JAMB announced that any of the 182 finalist candidates who missed the final interview session
due to genuine reasons can still submit an appeal.
They are to file a complaint through the official JAMB Support Ticketing System
at support.jamb.gov.ng under the newly added category titled “2025 Underage Complaint.”
Such cases will be reviewed individually, and decisions will be based on merit.
48-Hour Deadline for Uploading O’Level Results
The Board further disclosed that candidates who scored 320 and above in the UTME but were disqualified for failing to upload their O’Level results now have a two day grace period (ending Wednesday, October 29, 2025) to do so.
Affected candidates must also notify the Board through the JAMB Ticketing System after uploading.
JAMB Age Policy Controversy
In October 2025, JAMB had reaffirmed that only candidates who would be 16 years old by August 2025 were eligible for admission into tertiary institutions.
This directive, based on the Federal Ministry of Education’s policy of adopting 18 years as the minimum age for university admission, sparked nationwide debate.
Following public backlash, a legal challenge was filed by John Aikpokpo-Martins, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (Warri Branch),
resulting in a court injunction against the policy.
Consequently, JAMB created a temporary screening process to identify exceptionally brilliant underage students
who could be considered for university admission on merit.
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JAMB Reaffirms Its Commitment
JAMB restated its dedication to maintaining transparency, inclusiveness, and academic integrity across all levels of Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
According to the statement, “The Board remains committed to ensuring that every qualified candidate is given equal opportunity based on merit, while upholding fairness and the nation’s education standards.
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