By Joseph Erunke, Abuja
Only 108 of about 39,000 underage candidates who sat the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have met the Federal Government’s screening requirements for possible admission into tertiary institutions.
The candidates emerged from a multi-stage assessment designed to determine whether exceptionally young applicants possess the academic ability and psychological, emotional and intellectual maturity required for university education.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the two highest-scoring candidates and six other top-performing underage candidates in the 2026 UTME, presented by the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Segun Aina.
Alausa said the screening process was intended to ensure that opportunities for exceptionally gifted children did not come at the expense of their preparedness for higher education.
According to him, 2,244,149 candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, while 2,174,396 sat the examination. Approximately 39,000 of those who sat the examination were below the prescribed minimum admission age of 16.
The minister explained that candidates seeking exemption from the age requirement had to satisfy several conditions, beginning with a minimum UTME score of 320 out of 400, representing 80 per cent.
They were also required to score at least 80 per cent in their post-UTME examinations, meet the stipulated 80 per cent threshold in the assessment of their O’level results and pass a screening exercise to establish their psychological, emotional and intellectual readiness for university education.
Alausa disclosed that only 391 underage candidates scored at least 320 in the UTME, with further assessments reducing the number eligible for possible admission to 108.
He described the successful candidates as exceptionally gifted, noting that they represented approximately 0.005 per cent of those who sat the examination.
“You are the geniuses in our society,” the minister told the candidates, stressing that the government had a responsibility to identify exceptional talents and nurture them into innovators capable of developing solutions to Nigeria’s challenges and those of the wider world.
Alausa said the minimum admission age of 16 was not intended to frustrate academically gifted children or deny them opportunities to advance, but to ensure that those admitted at a younger age possessed the maturity required to cope with university life.
He said feedback from the screening exercise had been encouraging, particularly regarding the candidates’ confidence, intellectual abilities and responses to questions designed to assess their preparedness for higher education.
According to him, academic performance alone could not determine whether a child was ready for tertiary education, which also demands emotional stability and the ability to navigate social and intellectual challenges.
The minister urged the successful candidates to regard their abilities as a responsibility to society rather than merely an opportunity to secure early admission and personal advancement.
“You are the ones that will change Nigeria and change the world with your innovations,” he said.
Alausa linked the development of exceptional young talents to Nigeria’s broader prospects, arguing that the country’s youthful population represented a major resource that must be properly educated and harnessed.
He put Nigeria’s population at an estimated 220 million, with an average age of 18.5 years, adding that about 70 per cent of the population was below 30.
The minister said the Federal Government’s education reforms were designed to expand opportunities for young Nigerians and strengthen the country’s capacity to turn their potential into innovations and solutions that could improve lives.
He congratulated the candidates on behalf of President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Education, expressing confidence that their abilities could translate into breakthroughs capable of benefiting millions of people.
The eight recognised candidates, including the two highest scorers in the 2026 UTME, received plaques and certificates from the minister.
Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin emerged as the highest-scoring candidate with 372 marks, while Enwere Kingsley Ikenna followed with 370.
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