Godsent Ogbebor
85 Below-Age UTME Candidates Get JAMB Approval After Strict Screening
Eighty-five candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) despite being under the age requirement have been cleared for university admission by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The Board said the candidates succeeded after a series of checks that examined their academic performance, school records, biometric data, and post-UTME results.
JAMB spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, explained on Monday that the names of the cleared candidates have been forwarded to their preferred schools for completion of admission procedures.
He said the policy is a controlled exception meant to handle unique cases and not an avenue to weaken admission rules.
Read also: JAMB Sets 150 As Cut-Off Mark For Universities
Out of 41,027 applicants who originally sought to benefit from the policy, only 599 scored high enough to reach the next stage. After thorough assessment, the number dropped to 182 before 85 eventually qualified.
Benjamin said those who missed the final screening can still be considered if they submit a complaint via the JAMB support system under the “2025 Underage Complaint” section, provided their reasons are genuine.
He also reminded candidates with high scores who failed to upload their O-Level results to do so immediately, noting that the grace window will close on Wednesday, 29th October 2025.
The Board assured the public that it will continue to protect the integrity of tertiary admission processes while resolving genuine concerns raised by candidates.
