The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) now allows exceptionally talented candidates under 16 to take the annual Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Consequently, this decision opens new opportunities for young, gifted individuals to pursue higher education in Nigeria.
Registrar Is-haq Oloyede disclosed this policy during an interview on Channels TV’s Sunday program Inside Sources.
This follows ongoing debates about Nigeria’s tertiary education entry age.
Notably, Education Minister Tunji Alausa recently declared plans to set 16 as the baseline admission age, revising the prior 18-year threshold.
However, Alausa emphasized that the 16-year threshold would be flexible for students who demonstrate exceptional intellectual capabilities.
In line with this, JAMB has introduced what it calls the “Exceptionally Brilliant Window.” This initiative allows under-16 candidates who can prove their extraordinary academic abilities to register for and sit for the UTME.
“In Nigeria, there are many brilliant students; we have so many excellent people,” Oloyede stated during the interview. “We are enforcing the 16-year minimum entry into tertiary institutions, but some people are saying there are exceptional students. Yes, there are exceptional students, but they are just one in a million.”
The registrar elaborated that while 16 years remains the standard minimum age for tertiary education, candidates under this age who believe they qualify as exceptional can apply for this special category. Since the announcement, Oloyede noted that over 2,000 candidates across the country have already registered under this scheme, with some as young as 10, 11, and 12 years old.
However, Oloyede voiced concerns about certain practices among parents aimed at accelerating their children’s academic progression. “Normal children cannot grow at a rate higher than their biological age,” he said. “What parents are now doing is increasing the age of their children. They are doing everything—affidavits of age and other manipulations—to make their children appear older. The parents want to use the children to decorate their CVs. They want to say, ‘I am the mother of a lawyer; my child graduated at age 13.’”
To further support this initiative, JAMB has introduced a trial-testing mock examination for underage candidates.
JAMB will implement this mock examination in 2025 to enhance young candidates’ readiness for the UTME process.
Additionally, it aims to better equip them through structured practice and feedback.
Meanwhile, education stakeholders have expressed mixed reactions.
While supporters applaud JAMB’s recognition of exceptional talent, critics warn of undue pressure on students and ethical risks tied to age manipulation.
As debates persist, the policy highlights JAMB’s dual focus: fostering academic excellence and upholding standards in Nigeria’s education system.
This approach balances opportunity with accountability for long-term growth.