JAMB SAYS UNDER-16 CANDIDATES MUST SCORE 320 TO GAIN ADMISSION
The Joint Admission Matriculation Board has declared that candidates under the age of 16 can be considered for admission into tertiary institutions if they demonstrate that they are academically exceptional by scoring 80 percent and above in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The current minister for education, Olatunji Alausa, had reinstated the previous benchmark of 16 years, a move widely supported by stakeholders in the education sector.
However, while speaking during a recent meeting with key stakeholders—including Chief External Examiners, Chief Technical Advisors, and members of the Equal Opportunity Group—Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the registrar of JAMB, stated that while the 16-year age requirement remains the standard, exceptional candidates under the age of 16 may be granted admission under strict conditions.
He, however, expressed concerns over the role of private universities in admitting underage students, stating that many of these candidates struggle academically, with up to 80 percent eventually being transferred to other programs due to poor performance.
The registrar also condemned the manipulation of birth records by parents seeking early admission for their wards, only to later attempt to alter their ages for eligibility in the National Youth Service Corps program.
