Okebukola Applauds JAMB’s National Engagement On Underage Students

Former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Emeritus Peter Okebukola, has commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for organising a national engagement focused on underage students admitted into Nigerian universities.

Okebukola gave the commendation during JAMB’s first stakeholder engagement on underage admissions for the 2025/2026 academic session, held in Abuja under the theme, “Achieving Success in Higher Education of Underage Students Admitted in the 2025/2026 Session.”

The education expert described the initiative as a groundbreaking step, noting that no higher education system globally has created a coordinated national support structure for exceptionally brilliant underage students similar to what JAMB has introduced.

According to him, the programme reflects the commitment of the JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, to ensuring that academically gifted students receive adequate academic, emotional, and psychological support while pursuing university education.

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Okebukola, who chairs the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), explained that 96 students below the age of 16 were admitted into universities for the 2025/2026 academic session after scaling a strict screening process approved by the Federal Ministry of Education.

He stated that the admission requirements included scoring at least 320 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), obtaining a minimum of 80 percent in post-UTME examinations, recording similar performance in the Senior School Certificate Examination, and passing an independent expert assessment interview.

Speaking further, Okebukola stressed that the underage candidates should not be seen as problems but as exceptionally talented young Nigerians deserving proper guidance and protection.

“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.

He added that JEOG had assigned mentors to each of the admitted students, while parents, universities, counsellors, and administrators were expected to play active roles in supporting their growth and well-being.

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The engagement attracted vice-chancellors, education experts, child development specialists, legal practitioners, parents, and the underage students themselves, with discussions centred on academic support systems, counselling frameworks, emotional development, and legal protections for gifted minors in tertiary institutions.

Participants at the event also endorsed the description “Exceptionally Brilliant Underage Students” for candidates admitted through the specialised JAMB process.

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