The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has given its approval for the admission of 85 underage candidates who will be below 16 years by September 2025, after what it described as a “rigorous and comprehensive screening” under its exceptional admission policy.

JAMB’s approval came after a rigorous and comprehensive screening process conducted under its exceptional admission policy.

In a statement issued by the board through its Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin, the 85 candidates were perceived qualified following a diligent assessment and have been duly notified to advance to their respective institutions to complete their admission process and print their individual JAMB admission letters.

In the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), a total of 2,031,133 candidates applied for admission, out of which 41,027 sought consideration under the special underage category. Of these, 599 candidates scored at least 80 percent in the UTME and were subjected to further scrutiny, including verification of their school certificates and post-UTME performance.

JAMB stated that the the introduction of this exceptional admission policy aligns with global best operations, where underage cases are handled as rare exceptions different from the norm.

However, 182 candidates (178 plus 4) were shortlisted for the final stage of interviews and documentation. Upon completion of the process, 85 candidates were found to have met all required criteria and were subsequently cleared for admission.

The joint Admission and Board Matriculation further advised any of the 182 finalists who, for valid reasons, missed the final interview to submit a formal request through the JAMB Support Ticketing System under the category “2025 Underage Complaint.”

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