The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede has cleared exceptionally gifted children who are below 16 years to take the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Oloyede said the board would identify the few gifted students and allow them to take the university entrance examination.
But such candidate, the registrar said, must score at least 80 per cent in UTME, the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), post-UTME, or the General Certificate Examination (GCE) Ordinary Level.
Oloyede announced this at a meeting with critical stakeholders comprising Chief External Examiners (CEEs), Chief Technical Advisors (CTAs) and Equal Opportunity Group (EOG). Others included Virtues Vanguard, Peace Monitors, High-Power Opinion Leaders, civil society and mass media, general monitors, roving group and the Bwari Call Centre.
In a bulletin issued yesterday in Abuja by the board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the registrar insisted that JAMB would enforce the minimum entry age requirement into tertiary institutions.
“This is, however, with a proviso that exceptional candidates may enjoy waivers, even if they are below 16 years, provided they score the 80 per cent in the four examinations stated in our advertisement,” the bulletin said.
According to the bulletin, the meeting with the stakeholders was meant to prepare for this year’s UTME registration, review past performances, and discuss issues about the upcoming examination.
Oloyede explained that the national minimum admissible age remains 16, adding that any candidates below 16 years by September would not be considered for admission.
