JAMB Sets 320 UTME Cut-Off, Welcomes Brilliant Underage Candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that candidates younger than 16 years may now be considered for admission into tertiary institutions, provided they exhibit exceptional academic prowess by scoring at least 80 percent in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This move comes after the reversal of the previously enforced 18-year minimum admission age set by former Education Minister Tahir Mamman. The current Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, has reinstated the original 16-year benchmark, a decision broadly welcomed by stakeholders within the education sector.

Exceptional Talent Recognized

During a meeting with key education stakeholders, including Chief External Examiners, Chief Technical Advisors, and the Equal Opportunity Group, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, clarified that while 16 remains the standard minimum age for admission, underage candidates displaying remarkable academic ability could be considered under strict conditions.

A transcript of the meeting, published in JAMB’s bulletin, quoted Oloyede stating:
“This is about legal compliance. Age significantly impacts maturity and academic development—similar to how leadership roles have age restrictions. Biological age often correlates with intellectual growth. While the rules are in place, exceptions must exist for extraordinary cases.”

He further noted, “The Minister of Education has reaffirmed that the minimum admission age is 16. However, we recognize that some gifted children should not be disregarded. We need to identify and support these talents, allowing them to participate in examinations.”

Oloyede stressed that underage candidates would need to prove their academic excellence across various assessments, including the UTME, WASSCE, Post-UTME, and GCE O/Level.
“If a candidate under 16 scores 200 out of 400 in the UTME, can we truly call that exceptional? But if they achieve 320/400, that is a clear indicator of extraordinary ability and deserves consideration,” he emphasized.

Concerns Over Private Universities and Age Manipulation

Oloyede also voiced concerns about private universities admitting underage candidates without adequate assessment. He pointed out that many such students struggle academically, with up to 80 percent eventually being transferred to different programs due to poor performance.