Federal Government Recognizes 108 Underage UTME Geniuses

The Federal Government disclosed that only 108 underage candidates, from around 39,000 who sat the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), met the requirements for potential admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions. Dr Tunji Alausa, the Minister, stated that 2,244,149 candidates registered for the UTME, with 2,174,396 actually taking the exam.

Among those, nearly 39,000 were below the minimum admission age of 16. Alausa made this announcement on October 21, 2026, in Abuja during a ceremony where JAMB Registrar Prof. Segun Aina presented the highest-scoring candidates.

Underage candidates had to achieve a minimum score of 320 in the UTME, 80 percent in post-UTME assessments, and 80 percent in O'Level results from a single sitting. After further evaluations, only 108 candidates fully satisfied all requirements.

Alausa referred to these candidates as "the geniuses in our society" and encouraged them to use their talents for national development. Among those honored were Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin, who scored 372, and Enwere Kingsley Ikenna, who scored 370.