The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has approved the admission of 85 underage candidates who will be below 16 years by September 2025.

According to the Board, the approval was after a rigorous and comprehensive screening process conducted under its exceptional admission policy.

In a statement by its Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin, the 85 candidates were adjudged qualified following a meticulous evaluation.

He said the candidates have been duly notified to proceed to their respective institutions to complete their admission process and print their individual JAMB admission letters.

JAMB explained that the exceptional admission policy aligns with global best practices, where underage cases are treated as rare exceptions rather than the norm.

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.

“Following this phase, 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.”

JAMB 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.”

The Board said such complaints would be reviewed individually and treated strictly on merit.

Additionally, candidates who scored 320 and above in the UTME but were disqualified for failing to upload their O-Level results have been given a two-day grace, ending Wednesday, 29th October 2025, to complete the upload and notify the Board through the same ticketing system.

Reaffirming its commitment to fairness and academic integrity, JAMB stated that its admission process will continue to be credible, transparent, and inclusive, while upholding the standards of tertiary education in Nigeria.