Abuja, Nigeria – Na dem young padi dem, JAMB don carry come wahala wey sweet. E be like say education no get age limit again as Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) don screen 176 exceptional underage candidates wey rack up high marks for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This screening wey ye done for Abuja, Lagos, and Owerri at the same time, na im be the new way JAMB wan make sure say only the best of di best underage candidates wey dey below 16 years fit enter university for di 2025/2026 academic session.
Chairman of di Abuja screening panel, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, na him talk say e happy as everything follow smooth like butter. E explain say di candidates first sit down for written test before dem face di panel directly for interview.
“Dem do di first paper wey take like 20 minutes, and dem mark am straight away, then na him proceed to di next session to show their ginger,” na wetin Adedoja sha talk. But no be only Abuja dey shine, nationwide 176 candidates show say dem sabi well well.
Meanwhile, di Senate Committee Chairman for Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Dandutse, commended JAMB as dem bring platform wey belike talented underage candidates fit showcase their potential. E talk say dis screening no be play play matter, “Only di solid ones wey fit manage university wahala go fit enter.”
Omo na true matter, if dem admit underage students and dem no fit cope, na wasted time. Dandutse also don pledge National Assembly support for President Bola Tinubu s education plans, as dem dey plan big move for education area.
Hon. Oboku Oforji, wey be di House Committee Chairman on Basic Examination Bodies, praise di candidates wey show ojoro for dem performance, saying this one dey display Nigeria growing educational competitiveness across Africa. Dem even notice 38 out of 43 candidates for Owerri fit handle di screening matter.
Officially, e dey say say age for university admission na 18 years, but di National Policy for Education na allow entry from age 16 if e make sense. Mehn, if dem fit sabi like dis at underage, we go fit reason am well wetin go happen when dem reach 18.
According to JAMB, about 41,027 underage candidates register to show their skills, but only 599 manage enter dem level with 80 percent and above score. When dem check properly, na only 176 candidates qualify for final assessment. Di screening gats representatives from di Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), Vice Chancellors, and Gifted Education Programme, all of dem na experts wey dey follow due process. “We dey on top di screening matter as per JAMB guidelines o, no wahala here”, na wetin dem say.
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor@nnn.ng
