JAMB Explains Why 371-Scoring Candidate Was Excluded from Final UTME Vetting for Minors
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has explained why it excluded 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 stipulates that candidates must be at least 16 years old to gain admission into tertiary institutions, ensuring they possess the required mental maturity for higher education.
To accommodate outstanding minors, JAMB introduced a special vetting process in 2025, designed as a rigorous filter to identify exceptional candidates below the age limit.
Out of 41,027 underage candidates who sat for the UTME under this category, only 176 met the eligibility criteria and advanced to the final assessment, which included a written test and face-to-face interview held on October 8 and 9.
JAMB stated that Omolarami, who applied to Nile University, passed the first two stages of the four-phase vetting process but was officially marked absent during the university’s internal screening exercise. As a result, she was not invited for the final vetting.
“The report was formally transmitted to the board by the institution, thereby rendering her ineligible to participate in the final screening exercise,” JAMB said in a press statement issued on Thursday.
“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 vetting stages include attaining a minimum UTME score of 320, scoring at least 80 per cent in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), achieving 80 per cent in the university’s internal screening, and securing no less than 80 per cent in the final JAMB panel screening.
JAMB reiterated that progression to each stage depends on fulfilling the requirements of the previous one.
The board also reaffirmed its commitment to the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), which automates the admission process to ensure transparency and eliminate human interference.
While JAMB regulates and approves admissions, it said universities are responsible for recommending suitably qualified candidates through their internal selection processes.
The board added that the results of 84 successful underage candidates are currently being processed and will be forwarded to their respective institutions to finalise admissions.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
