By Gift ChapiOdekina

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector have commended the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, for convening the first-ever national stakeholder engagement focused on underage students admitted into tertiary institutions.

The engagement, organised on Tuesday in Abuja by the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), brought together 283 participants, including Vice-Chancellors, parents, child development experts, legal authorities, counsellors and the underage students themselves.

The event, themed “Achieving Success in Higher Education of Underage Students Admitted in the 2025/2026 Session,” was described by participants as a landmark initiative aimed at safeguarding the academic and emotional well-being of exceptionally brilliant young students admitted into Nigerian universities.

Speaking with journalists after the event, Peter Okebukola, President of the Global University Network for Innovation Africa, said no higher education system globally had established such a coordinated national support framework for underage students.

According to him, the initiative reflects Professor Oloyede’s commitment to balancing academic excellence with the welfare and holistic development of gifted learners.

The stakeholders were informed that 96 students below the statutory admission age of 16 years gained admission into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session after passing what JAMB described as a rigorous multi-layered screening process.

Under the admission guidelines approved by the Federal Ministry of Education in 2025, candidates were required to score a minimum of 320 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), equivalent to 80 per cent, obtain at least 80 per cent in post-UTME examinations, secure a minimum of 80 per cent in the Senior School Certificate Examination, and also pass an independent expert assessment interview with a score of not less than 80 per cent.

Oloyede, in his remarks, stressed that government policy on age and university admission was rooted in long-standing educational principles rather than arbitrary decisions.

He cited the 1981 National Policy on Education, which structured educational progression in a way that ordinarily places candidates for tertiary education at about 16 years of age.

According to him, the policy recognises that education is not solely about academic exposure but also about cognitive, emotional and social preparedness for life and society.

He noted that institutions such as the University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan have consistently maintained the 16-year minimum admission age, regardless of a candidate’s academic brilliance.

In his opening remarks, Okebukola, who also chairs JEOG, said the group views the underage students not as problems to be managed but as a national asset requiring structured support and guidance.

He disclosed that mentors had been assigned individually to each of the 96 students to ensure continuous monitoring and support throughout their academic journey.

“Our task today is to ensure that precocity is met not with neglect or indifference, but with wisdom, structure and genuine love for the young,” he said.
The engagement featured three technical sessions addressing key areas of concern surrounding underage university education.

The first session focused on pedagogy and support systems for gifted students, with presentations by experts including Uchenna Maristella Nzewi of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Foluso Okebukola of the Lagos State University, and Grace Eno Nta of the University of Calabar.

Presentations examined differentiated learning approaches, mentoring systems, academic monitoring frameworks and international best practices.

The second session, moderated by Gaji Fatima Dantata of Bayero University Kano, explored the psychological implications of underage university education, including emotional adjustment, stress management, resilience and counselling models.

The final technical session, led by Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, examined constitutional provisions and child rights protections relevant to underage students.

Participants also heard directly from some of the underage students, who shared experiences relating to academic workload, social integration, emotional adaptation and institutional support.

The student interaction session, facilitated by Asabe Kabir, generated recommendations that informed the event’s concluding resolutions.

In a poll conducted during the engagement, participants endorsed the designation “Exceptionally Brilliant Underage Students (EBUAS)” for under-16 students who successfully passed the stringent JAMB admission process.

Goodwill messages were delivered by Mohammed A. Babaji, Director of Admissions at JAMB, alongside Vice-Chancellors from institutions including the University of Ilorin, Covenant University, Afe Babalola University and others currently admitting JAMB-approved underage students.
A special goodwill message was also presented by Samuel Gbadebo Odewumi.

The event concluded with a joint presentation on outcomes and next steps by Okebukola and Project Coordinator Professor Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, before being formally closed by Oloyede.

JEOG said the engagement marks the beginning of a broader national support programme, including planned zonal engagements, aimed at ensuring that all 96 underage students complete their university education safely, successfully and with their well-being adequately protected.