- The Federal Government said only 108 underage candidates out of roughly 39,000 who sat the 2026 UTME met the strict requirements for possible admission
- Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa revealed the figures while receiving the two highest-scoring UTME candidates and six outstanding underage candidates in Abuja
- Underage candidates had to score at least 320 out of 400 in UTME and at least 80% in both post-UTME and O'Level results to qualify for consideration
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering basic and tertiary education in Nigeria and worldwide
FCT, Abuja - The Federal Government has revealed that just 108 underage candidates, out of approximately 39,000 who sat the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), have met the requirements for possible admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
Legit.ng reports that JAMB addressed underage candidates seeking university admission in Nigeria, outlining the conditions they must satisfy.
Source: Facebook
Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa said a total of 2,244,149 candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, of whom 2,174,396 actually sat the examination.
Alausa said of those who took the test, close to 39,000 were below the minimum admission age of 16.
As reported by Daily Trust, Alausa disclosed this on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in Abuja during a ceremony where JAMB Registrar Prof. Segun Aina presented the two highest-scoring UTME candidates and six exceptional underage candidates to the ministry.
Hurdles underage candidates had to clear
To be considered for an exemption from the age requirement, underage candidates had to clear a demanding set of academic and maturity benchmarks.
These included scoring at least 320 out of 400 in the UTME, a minimum of 80 per cent in post-UTME assessments, and at least 80 per cent, equivalent to 24 points out of 30, in their O'Level results obtained in a single sitting.
Combining results from WAEC and NECO was not allowed, and candidates were also required to meet subject-specific entry requirements for their chosen courses.
Candidates who passed the initial screening then faced further evaluation by the National Committee on Underage Admission, which assessed their psychological, emotional and intellectual readiness for university life outside the standard Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
Of all underage candidates who sat the exam, only 391 scored 320 or above in the UTME. After the additional assessments, the number that fully satisfied all the requirements fell to 108, representing about 0.005 per cent of those who took the examination.
Minister hails candidates as geniuses
Alausa described the 108 successful candidates as exceptionally gifted young people and addressed them directly during the ceremony.
"You are the geniuses in our society," he told the students, encouraging them to channel their abilities into developing solutions to Nigeria's problems.
He clarified that the minimum age policy was not meant to shut gifted children out of higher education but to ensure that younger students had the maturity needed to thrive in a university environment.
Officials were said to have been impressed by the candidates' confidence and intellectual depth during the screening process.
The minister also congratulated the candidates on behalf of President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Education. He urged them to view their education as a chance to contribute to national development.
Among those honoured were Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin, who scored 372, and Enwere Kingsley Ikenna, who scored 370. All eight candidates received plaques and certificates from the minister at the event.
Source: Facebook
UTME: JAMB announces requirements underage candidates
JAMB set a minimum UTME score of 320 for underage candidates seeking admission under its exceptional talent provision.
The board said it withheld the results of underage candidates for now and clarified that the “No Result Yet” status was a deliberate policy decision.
JAMB reaffirmed that only candidates who would be at least 16 years old by September 30, 2026, are eligible for admission into tertiary institutions.
Source: Legit.ng