JAMB Explains Exclusion of Underage UTME Candidate Who Scored 371 from Final Vetting
By Guardian Nigeria

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has explained why Kareem Kaamilah Omolarami, an underage candidate who scored 371 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), was excluded from the final vetting process for exceptional minors.

In a statement released on Thursday, JAMB said Omolarami’s exclusion was due to her absence from Nile University’s internal screening exercise the third stage of the board’s special four-step vetting process for underage candidates.

The board clarified that her non-invitation to the final screening was not a result of any administrative error or bias but strictly due to her failure to complete all required stages.

> “The university formally reported her absence to the board, which automatically made her ineligible for the final vetting,” JAMB stated.


The examination body reaffirmed that the Federal Ministry of Education’s minimum age requirement for admission into tertiary institutions remains 16 years, a policy aimed at ensuring candidates possess adequate emotional and mental maturity.

To accommodate exceptional young candidates, JAMB introduced a special vetting process in 2025. Out of 41,027 underage candidates who took part in the UTME, only 176 met the criteria to advance to the final stages of the screening.

The process, which ran from late September to early October, involved four stages:

1. A minimum UTME score of 320.


2. At least 80% in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).


3. An internal university screening with a similar 80% benchmark.


4. A final JAMB-administered test and interview, also requiring 80% or above.



Omolarami, who applied to study at Nile University, completed the first two stages successfully before missing the third stage — the university’s internal assessment.

JAMB reiterated its commitment to maintaining fairness and transparency through its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), which automates the entire admission process to eliminate human interference.

> “JAMB’s role is to regulate and approve admissions while institutions recommend candidates based on their internal screening and merit,” the board added.



The agency confirmed that the results of 84 successful underage candidates who completed all stages are currently being processed and will soon be forwarded to their respective institutions for admission consideration.