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The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Segun Aina, have honoured outstanding candidates in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), including the examination’s highest scorers and exceptional candidates below the age of 16.
The recognition ceremony, held in Abuja on Wednesday, celebrated the academic achievements of the candidates and highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to nurturing young talents capable of contributing to Nigeria’s scientific, technological and economic development.
At the event, Alausa challenged the candidates to look beyond academic certificates and focus on developing practical solutions to problems confronting the country and the wider world.
He described the young achievers as an important resource for national development, stressing that their intellectual abilities should be channelled towards innovation, research, entrepreneurship and the creation of opportunities for millions of people.
“You represent the future of our country,” the minister told the candidates.
He added: “You are the ones that will change Nigeria. And that will change the world with your innovations.”
The minister said Nigeria needed a generation of young people who could transform knowledge into products, services and ideas capable of improving livelihoods, strengthening industries and addressing pressing social challenges.
“We expect and we look forward for you to bring the people that will develop innovations, solutions, that will impact tens of millions of people in Nigeria and hundreds of millions of people in the world,” he said.
108 under-16 candidates meet exceptional admission requirements
Alausa disclosed that only 108 candidates below the age of 16 had met the stipulated requirements for consideration for admission into tertiary institutions from the approximately 39,000 underage candidates who sat the 2026 UTME.
According to the minister, 2,174,396 candidates participated in the examination, while only 391 candidates in the under-16 category attained the minimum UTME score of 320 out of 400, representing 80 per cent.
Further screening reduced the number of candidates who satisfied the requirements to 108.
The process required candidates to demonstrate exceptional academic performance, including the prescribed results in their Senior School Certificate examinations and post-UTME assessments, alongside evidence of psychological, emotional and intellectual readiness for university education.
The minister explained that the minimum admission age policy was intended to ensure that prospective undergraduates possessed the maturity required to cope with the academic and social demands of tertiary education.
He, however, emphasised that the policy provided for exceptional consideration of exceptionally gifted candidates who satisfied the established requirements.
The screening exercise, he said, was necessary because high examination scores alone could not conclusively establish a young candidate’s preparedness for university life.
Alausa said the candidates demonstrated impressive intellectual abilities, confidence and communication skills during the assessment.
He disclosed that JAMB Registrar, Professor Aina, was particularly impressed by their responses to questions during the screening.
“He was blown away with your level of intellect, your confidence, the way you spoke, and addressed all those screening questions,” the minister said.
The recognition of the candidates underscored the need to identify and nurture exceptional talents while ensuring that admission decisions remained guided by academic standards and the overall interests of the students.
Awards were also presented to the highest-scoring candidates in the 2026 UTME and other outstanding candidates in the under-16 category.
JAMB’s evolving role in tertiary admissions
The ceremony also drew attention to JAMB’s broader responsibilities in Nigeria’s education system, particularly its efforts to improve examination administration, strengthen admission procedures and make the selection of candidates more transparent.
Although the board is widely associated with conducting the UTME, its mandate extends beyond the examination itself to include the coordination and regulation of admissions into universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other approved tertiary institutions.
In recent years, the board has deployed technology to reduce manual processes, improve the management of candidate information and strengthen the monitoring of admissions across institutions.
One of its major reforms is the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which automates important aspects of the admission process.
According to JAMB, CAPS was designed to address the challenges associated with manual admission procedures, empower candidates with information about available programmes and institutions, eliminate multiple admissions and provide more reliable data for decision-making and educational research.
The system also allows candidates to monitor their admission status and accept or reject admission offers, while enabling institutions to manage their admission processes electronically.
The reform represents a significant shift from admission arrangements that depended more heavily on manual documentation and communication between institutions and applicants.
By centralising important admission information, CAPS provides a mechanism for monitoring the movement of candidates through the admission process and reducing the possibility of conflicting admission offers.
However, the effectiveness of the system also depends on timely updates by institutions, accurate candidate information and consistent communication with applicants.
Technology and examination integrity
Another important aspect of JAMB’s development has been the expansion and strengthening of computer-based testing.
The CBT framework enables the board to administer examinations electronically, standardise important aspects of the examination process and reduce reliance on paper-based testing.
JAMB has also adopted additional measures to strengthen registration and examination security, including biometric authentication, the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) for candidate identification, CCTV monitoring at centres and electronic systems for handling complaints.
The board’s use of secure examination-hosting arrangements and technological monitoring has also featured among the measures introduced to protect the integrity of the UTME.
A 2024 report published in JAMB’s official bulletin highlighted these initiatives, alongside the introduction of electronic ticketing for complaints, online payment channels and improvements to the registration process.
The reforms are intended to make it more difficult for candidates to impersonate others, reduce errors in registration and improve the board’s ability to investigate complaints.
The use of NIN-linked information has also strengthened identity verification, although candidates must ensure that their personal details are accurate and consistent across relevant records.
JAMB has continued to accredit and assess CBT centres to ensure that facilities meet its technical and operational requirements before they are permitted to participate in examinations.
For the 2025 UTME, the board outlined an accreditation process involving technical assessments and physical inspections of centres seeking approval.
These measures are particularly important because the reliability of a national examination depends not only on the questions administered but also on the quality of the facilities, the security of the examination environment and the competence of those responsible for conducting it.
Financial accountability and public confidence
JAMB has also attracted attention for its financial reporting and accountability measures.
In its January 2025 bulletin, the board reported that it generated approximately ₦23 billion in income in 2024 and spent about ₦18.2 billion on examination operations, payments to service providers and other essential expenses.
The bulletin also reported a ₦6 billion remittance to the Federal Government for the period covered by its financial review. These figures formed part of the board’s broader reporting on its income, expenditure and remittances.
The board has previously received public recognition for reforms aimed at improving transparency, accountability and the deployment of technology in examination management.
Such developments are significant in a public institution that handles millions of candidates and substantial volumes of registration, examination and admission information each year.
Nevertheless, financial reporting and technological improvements must continue to translate into practical benefits for candidates, particularly through accessible services, timely responses to complaints and clear explanations of admission decisions.
Candidate welfare and admission transparency
Beyond examination administration, JAMB’s recent operational priorities have included efforts to improve candidates’ experiences during registration, result checking and admission processing.
At a time when candidates and parents face considerable anxiety over university admission, timely and reliable information remains essential.
The introduction of electronic support and ticketing channels has provided a structured avenue for candidates to submit complaints and enquiries rather than relying entirely on physical visits to offices.
The board’s admission system also allows candidates to monitor their admission status, while its recent policy discussions have emphasised the need to make information about admission decisions clearer and easier to understand.
These developments are particularly relevant for candidates who receive delayed admission offers or encounter discrepancies in their personal information.
However, continued public confidence will depend on how effectively the board resolves complaints, communicates deadlines and ensures that candidates receive consistent information from JAMB and their chosen institutions.
A call for innovation and national development
For Alausa, the recognition of the 2026 UTME achievers was not simply an occasion to celebrate examination scores but an opportunity to encourage young Nigerians to use their education to address real-world challenges.
He urged the candidates to see their academic achievements as the beginning of a larger responsibility to society.
The minister’s appeal reflects the wider policy argument that Nigeria’s education system must prepare students not only for examinations and formal qualifications but also for productive employment, entrepreneurship, research and technological advancement.
As the country confronts challenges in healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, digital technology and other sectors, young people with strong scientific and analytical skills could play an important role in developing locally relevant solutions.
The challenge, however, extends beyond identifying exceptional candidates. It also requires schools, universities, research institutions and government agencies to provide the infrastructure, mentorship, funding and opportunities that enable young talents to flourish.
For the 108 under-16 candidates who met the exceptional requirements, the next stage will be to demonstrate that their academic abilities can be sustained in the more demanding environment of tertiary education.
For JAMB, the task remains to ensure that the admission process is transparent, examination standards are protected and qualified candidates are treated fairly.
The board’s continuing technological and administrative reforms provide a foundation for these objectives, while the experience of candidates and their families will remain an important measure of their practical success.
The ceremony therefore combined recognition of individual academic excellence with a broader message about the purpose of education: preparing young Nigerians to acquire knowledge, develop useful innovations and contribute meaningfully to national and global progress.
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