JAMB Opens UTME Access to Exceptional Students Under 16!

Despite the previous ban on admissions for students under 18, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) now offers access to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for exceptional students under 16.

The change follows an important decision made by the Registrar of JAMB, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, who disclosed that the examination body had introduced a special registration window called the “Exceptionally Brilliant Window” specifically for gifted students who fall below the age threshold. Although JAMB has enforced a minimum age requirement of 16 for university admissions, exceptions for those students, who would significantly surpass the average UTME score of 320.

This policy shift comes in response to the increasing number of students in Nigeria who exhibit exceptional talent, and who, despite their age, are ready for the intellectual challenges of tertiary education. Prof. Oloyede, who is also a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, made these remarks during a guest appearance on the Inside Sources with Laolu Akande show on Channels Television.

Reverting to the policy passed earlier in July 2024, when Prof. Tahir Mamman, the former Minister of Education, had introduced a controversial policy that banned the admission of students under the age of 18 into Nigerian tertiary institutions. This was aimed at ensuring that students were sufficiently mature before entering university. The policy was enacted due to the issue of age manipulation by some parents, who had been falsely registering their children between the ages of 10 and 12 for the UTME. 

Prof. Oloyede did express concerns over this practice, stating that while the new policy is an opportunity for exceptional students and was necessary, to not let them go to waste.

Under this new arrangement, students who are under 16 but have shown exceptional intellectual capacity can now register for the UTME, effectively opening up the doors to higher education for those who are ready to advance academically. This new policy has been met with mixed reactions, as maturity and intelligence can not be placed side by side, minors need some level of experience before gaining the freedom tertiary institution comes with. 

However, Prof. Oloyede sees it as a step toward accommodating and nurturing the talents of Nigeria’s brightest young minds, ensuring that they are given the opportunity to thrive academically and contribute to the nation’s growth at a global level.

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