JAMB Hosted First National Engagement on Underage University Students

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has convened its first national stakeholder engagement focused on underage students admitted into tertiary institutions across the country, in what education experts described as a landmark intervention in Nigeria’s higher education system.

The engagement, organised in Abuja by the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group, brought together vice chancellors, parents, counsellors, legal experts, child development specialists, and underage students admitted into universities for the 2025/2026 academic session.

The event was held under the theme, “Achieving Success in Higher Education of Underage Students Admitted in the 2025/2026 Session.” Stakeholders at the forum said the initiative was designed to strengthen academic support and emotional protection for exceptionally brilliant students admitted below the age of 16.

Speaking after the engagement, President of the Global University Network for Innovation Africa, Professor Peter Okebukola, commended JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, for introducing what he described as an unprecedented national support framework for underage university students.

According to him, no higher education system globally had established such a coordinated structure for exceptionally brilliant students.

Stakeholders at the event were informed that 96 students below the statutory admission age of 16 secured admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session after undergoing what JAMB described as a rigorous multi-layered screening process.

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Under guidelines approved by the Federal Ministry of Education in 2025, candidates seeking consideration under the special category were required to score at least 320 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, representing 80 per cent. They were also expected to score a minimum of 80 per cent in post UTME examinations, Senior School Certificate Examinations, and an independent expert assessment interview.

In his remarks, Oloyede said the government’s position on admission age did not emerge arbitrarily, noting that the policy was rooted in the 1981 National Policy on Education.

“It is important to state clearly that the position of government on age and admission did not emerge arbitrarily,” he said.

“As far back as the 1981 National Policy on Education, Nigeria, Section 7, Sub Section 2, had already established a structured educational progression designed to align learning with stages of cognitive and emotional development.”

He added that the policy was intended to place candidates for tertiary education admission at approximately 16 years of age, stressing that education goes beyond academic exposure.

“This policy direction has remained substantially consistent over the years because educational progression is not merely about academic exposure, but about the total preparation of the learner for life and society,” Oloyede stated.

The JAMB registrar also noted that institutions such as the University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan strictly maintain the minimum admission age requirement regardless of a candidate’s academic performance.

Okebukola, who chairs the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group, said the organisation views underage students as a national asset rather than a challenge. He disclosed that mentors had been assigned individually to each of the 96 students to ensure continuous academic and emotional support throughout their stay in the university system.

“Our task today is to ensure that precocity is met not with neglect or indifference, but with wisdom, structure and genuine love for the young,” he said.

The engagement featured technical sessions on pedagogy, counselling, emotional development, and legal protections for underage students in tertiary institutions. Participants also interacted directly with some of the admitted students, who shared experiences on academic pressure, social adjustment, and institutional support.

At the end of the meeting, participants endorsed the designation “Exceptionally Brilliant Underage Students” for candidates below the age of 16 who successfully passed JAMB’s admission screening process