The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that candidates under the age of 16 may be considered for admission into tertiary institutions if they demonstrate exceptional academic ability. To qualify, these candidates must score at least 320 out of 400 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which is 80 percent of the total score.
This decision comes after the reversal of the mandatory 18-year admission age introduced by former Education Minister Tahir Mamman. The current Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, has reinstated the previous benchmark of 16 years, a move welcomed by many in the education sector.
During a recent meeting with key stakeholders, including Chief External Examiners, Chief Technical Advisors, and members of the Equal Opportunity Group, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, noted that while the standard admission age remains 16, there should be room for exceptional cases.
A transcript from the meeting, published in JAMB’s bulletin, quoted Oloyede as saying: “This is about complying with the law. Age plays a crucial role in maturity and academic development. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have age limits for leadership positions such as local government chairman. Biological age is linked to intellectual growth, and while rules exist, there must be room for exceptions.
“The Minister of Education has clearly stated that the minimum age for admission remains 16. However, we acknowledge that some gifted children exist. These individuals should not be overlooked. We must identify them and allow them to sit for the exams.”
Oloyede noted that such candidates must prove their academic excellence across multiple assessments, including UTME, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Post-UTME, and General Certificate of Education (GCE) O’Level.
“If a candidate under 16 scores 200 out of 400 in the UTME, can they truly be considered exceptional? However, if they achieve 80% (320/400), that signals exceptional ability and warrants consideration,” he added.
Despite this opportunity for gifted students, Oloyede raised concerns over private universities admitting underage students who later struggle academically. He pointed out that many of these students fail to cope with university demands, with about 80 percent eventually switching to different programs.
