The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified the exclusion of one Kareem Kaamilah Omolarami, an underage candidate who scored 371 in the 2025 UTME, from its final screening for minors.
The education ministry mandates a minimum age of 16 years for entry into
tertiary institutions to ensure candidates possess the necessary mental
maturity for higher education.
In 2025, a special vetting process was introduced as a
rigorous filter, providing a path only for exceptional candidates under 16 who
meet extremely high academic benchmarks.
Out of the 41,027 underage candidates who wrote the 2025
UTME under the category, only 176 were confirmed eligible and subjected to a
final assessment, which included a written test and a face-to-face interview.
The multi-layered screening for the underage candidates took
place on October 8 and 9, after an initial screening period was scheduled for
September 22 to 26.
JAMB said Omolarami, who scored 371 in the 2025 UTME and had
applied to the Nile University, passed the first two of the four-stage vetting
for underage candidates, but was then officially reported absent for the
institution’s internal screening.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the examination body
stated that the candidate was not invited for the final vetting as a result.
The first three stages include attaining a minimum UTME
score of 320, scoring at least 80 per cent in the Senior School Certificate
Examination (SSCE), and achieving 80 per cent in the university’s internal
screening exercise.
The final vetting involves undergoing a final screening by a
JAMB panel, where the candidate must also score no less than 80 per cent.
JAMB said a candidate is only eligible for the next stage
after successfully meeting the requirements of the preceding one.
“This report was formally transmitted to the board by the
institution, thereby rendering her ineligible to participate in the final
screening exercise,” JAMB said.
“Her non-invitation to the final stage was therefore not due
to any administrative oversight, bias, or procedural lapse on the part of the
board.”
JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to the Central Admission
Processing System (CAPS), which automates the admission process to ensure
fairness and eliminate human interference.
It said that while it regulates and approves admissions, the
respective universities recommend suitably qualified candidates based on their
internal selection processes.
JAMB said the results of 84 successful underage candidates
are currently being processed and will be released to their respective
institutions to finalise their admissions.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com