The Federal Government has identified 108 underage candidates out of nearly 39,000 who sat the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as meeting the conditions for possible admission into tertiary institutions.
The students passed a series of assessments aimed at determining whether they were academically capable and emotionally mature enough to cope with university education despite being below the stipulated admission age of 16.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the figures on Wednesday in Abuja during a reception for the top-performing UTME candidates. The students were presented by the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Segun Aina.
Alausa said the government introduced the screening process to ensure that exceptionally young students seeking early admission could demonstrate readiness for the responsibilities and challenges of higher education.
He disclosed that 2,244,149 candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, but 2,174,396 eventually wrote the examination. About 39,000 candidates were below the minimum age required for admission.
To qualify for consideration, underage applicants had to score at least 320 out of 400 in the UTME, representing 80 per cent. They were also required to achieve a minimum of 80 per cent in their post-UTME examinations and meet the same benchmark during the assessment of their O-level results.
In addition, candidates underwent further screening to assess their intellectual capabilities, emotional stability and psychological preparedness for university life.
The minister explained that although 391 underage candidates attained the required UTME score, only 108 satisfied the conditions after the subsequent assessments.
He described the successful applicants as an exceptionally gifted group, representing approximately 0.005 per cent of all candidates who took the examination.
“You are the geniuses in our society,” Alausa told the students, stressing the need to identify and develop young Nigerians whose abilities could help address national and global challenges.
He explained that the age requirement was not designed to hold back brilliant children but to ensure that those seeking early admission had the maturity to handle university responsibilities.
According to him, feedback from the screening exercise showed encouraging levels of confidence and intellectual ability among the candidates, alongside their responses to questions testing their readiness for higher education.
Alausa maintained that academic excellence alone could not determine whether a child was ready for university, noting that students must also be emotionally prepared to manage the social and intellectual demands of campus life.
He urged the successful candidates to regard their talents as an opportunity to contribute to society rather than merely a means of gaining admission earlier than their peers.
“You are the ones that will change Nigeria and change the world with your innovations,” he said.
The minister also highlighted the importance of investing in Nigeria’s young population, describing it as a major asset for the country’s development.
He estimated the country’s population at 220 million, with an average age of 18.5 years, adding that approximately 70 per cent of Nigerians were under 30.
He said the Federal Government’s education reforms were intended to help young people develop their potential and turn their abilities into practical innovations that could improve lives.
Alausa congratulated the students on behalf of President Bola Tinubu and the Ministry of Education, expressing hope that their talents would produce achievements capable of benefiting millions of people.
The eight outstanding candidates received plaques and certificates at the event.
Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin emerged as the highest scorer in the 2026 UTME with 372 marks, followed by Enwere Kingsley Ikenna, who scored 370.