The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the commencement of screening for over 500 exceptional candidates below 16, who areseeking admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session between September 22 and 26.
According to resolutions reached during a virtual meeting of members on Wednesday, the exercise will be conducted by a special technical committee set up by JAMB.
Speaking during the meeting, Registrar of JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, said three venues have been selected for the screening: Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri.
He said Lagos will host 397 candidates, Owerri 136, and Abuja 66.
Oloyede, who noted that out of 41,027 underage candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), more than 40,000 did not scale the first hurdle, explained that the screening is to ensure that only exceptional and well-prepared underage candidates gain admission.
“People have been doing it in other parts of the world. We are not reinventing the wheel,” he said.
During the meeting, a subcommittee led by Prof. Taoheed Adedoja presented its report on the planned assessment, stating that candidates will face subject-specific tests followed by a brief oral interview.
