The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that 85 underage candidates have successfully passed its special screening for exceptional admission.
The Board explained that all successful candidates were under 16 years old as of September 2025.
Out of 182 finalists, these 85 candidates met the criteria and have been cleared to proceed to their respective institutions to complete their admission processes and print their JAMB admission letters.
In a statement, JAMB Spokesperson Dr. Fabian Benjamin said the policy aligns with global best practices, noting that such exceptional admissions are rare.
The statement also provided a breakdown of the selection process:
A total of 2,031,133 candidates sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
41,027 candidates applied under the underage category.
Of these, 599 candidates scored above the 80% UTME threshold.
After further screening of certificates and PUTME results, 182 candidates emerged as finalists.
Following interviews and verification, 85 candidates were finally cleared for admission.
JAMB encouraged any of the 182 finalists who missed the final interview for valid reasons to submit requests through the new “2025 Underage Complaint” category in the JAMB Support Ticketing System.
Each case will be considered individually on merit.
Additionally, candidates who scored 320 and above in the 2025 UTME but were disqualified for not uploading O-Level results have until Wednesday, 29 October 2025, to upload their results and notify the Board through the ticketing system.
JAMB reiterated its commitment to transparency and fairness, stressing that all complaints and uploads must meet the deadlines to be considered.
The Board also highlighted widespread malpractice during the 2025 UTME.
Findings from its Special Committee on Examination Infractions (SCEI) revealed 4,251 cases of “finger blending,” a biometric manipulation technique, 190 cases of AI-assisted impersonation using image morphing and 1,878 instances of false disability claims.
Other infractions including forged documents, multiple NIN registrations, and collusion with organised exam syndicates.
