Only 108 of 39,000 Underage UTME Candidates Qualify, Says Alausa

Only 108 candidates under the age of 16 who sat the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have met the requirements for exceptional admission consideration, the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, has said.

Alausa disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at a ceremony where he and the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Segun Aina, honoured the examination’s top scorers and outstanding underage candidates.

He said approximately 39,000 candidates below 16 years took the examination, but only 391 scored at least 320 out of 400 marks.

Further screening reduced the number who met the requirements to 108, following assessments of their academic records and readiness for university education.

The minister said the exercise went beyond UTME performance to establish whether the candidates could cope with the demands of tertiary education.

Candidates had to meet prescribed requirements in their Senior School Certificate examinations and post-UTME assessments. They also underwent evaluations of their psychological, emotional and intellectual readiness.

Alausa explained that the minimum admission age policy aimed to ensure that students possessed the maturity required for university life. However, he said exceptionally gifted candidates could receive special consideration if they satisfied the established criteria.

He stressed that a high examination score alone did not guarantee admission for candidates below the stipulated age.

The minister praised the successful candidates for their intellectual ability, confidence and communication skills during the screening exercise.

According to him, JAMB Registrar Aina expressed surprise at the quality of their responses during the assessment.

“He was blown away with your level of intellect, your confidence, the way you spoke, and addressed all those screening questions,” Alausa said.

The minister also urged the candidates to apply their academic abilities to solving practical problems rather than focusing solely on obtaining certificates.

“You represent the future of our country,” he told them.

He said Nigeria needed young people who could use innovation, research and entrepreneurship to address national challenges and create opportunities.

“You are the ones that will change Nigeria. And that will change the world with your innovations,” he added.

Alausa urged the students to develop ideas, products and services that could improve livelihoods, strengthen industries and benefit millions of people.

The ceremony also recognised the highest-scoring candidates in the 2026 UTME and other outstanding candidates in the under-16 category.