The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has provided clarification on the exclusion of Kareem Kaamilah Omolarami, an underage candidate who scored 371 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), from the final vetting process for minors.

According to JAMB, the Federal Ministry of Education sets a minimum age of 16 for entry into tertiary institutions to ensure candidates possess the requisite mental and emotional maturity for higher education. In 2025, the board introduced a special vetting procedure to accommodate exceptional candidates under the age of 16 who demonstrate outstanding academic performance.

Out of 41,027 underage candidates who sat the UTME under this category, only 176 were confirmed eligible to proceed to a final assessment, which comprised a written test and a face-to-face interview. The multi-stage screening for these candidates took place on October 8 and 9, following an initial screening scheduled between September 22 and 26.

JAMB stated that Omolarami, who applied to Nile University, successfully completed the first two of the four-stage vetting process.

However, she was reported absent for the university’s internal screening, which forms the third stage. Consequently, she was not invited to participate in the final vetting conducted by a JAMB panel.

The board explained that the four-stage vetting process requires candidates to first achieve a minimum UTME score of 320, then score at least 80 per cent in their Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), and subsequently meet the university’s internal screening threshold of 80 per cent. The final stage involves a JAMB-administered screening, again requiring a minimum score of 80 per cent. Candidates may only advance to each subsequent stage after fulfilling the criteria of the previous 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.”

The board also reiterated its commitment to the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), which automates admissions to ensure transparency and prevent human interference. While JAMB regulates and approves admissions, universities make recommendations for suitably qualified candidates based on their internal selection procedures.

JAMB confirmed that the results of 84 successful underage candidates are currently being processed and will soon be forwarded to their respective institutions for the finalisation of admissions. (The Guardian)