JAMB Extends Post-UTME Deadline for Underage Candidates in 23 Universities

JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, announced the extension on Thursday in an official statement. He explained that the decision was reached after consultations with the affected institutions. To ensure compliance, the board has also sent reminder emails to the defaulting universities.

According to Benjamin, despite the release of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) results by the National Examinations Council (NECO) on September 17, several universities had yet to forward their Post-UTME screening scores.

The spokesperson urged all affected institutions to submit the screening scores of underage candidates without further delay. He revealed that 23 out of 71 universities failed to meet the earlier deadline of September 15 for the submission of the scores. These institutions are among those chosen by candidates seeking admission into various programs for the 2025/2026 academic session.

Benjamin further directed all public universities to upload their recommended candidates to the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) on or before September 30, 2025, while private universities have until October 31, 2025.

He stressed that the measure is necessary to meet the overall admission deadlines of October 30 for public universities and November 30 for private universities.

Universities with the Highest Number of Underage Candidates

Benjamin provided a breakdown of the affected schools and the number of underage candidates involved:

• University of Lagos (UNILAG): 39 underage candidates
• Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja: 18 underage candidates
• Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka: 15 underage candidates
• University of Abuja: 12 underage candidates
• University of Uyo: 9 underage candidates
• Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO): 8 underage candidates
• David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu: 6 underage candidates

In total, 135 underage candidates are involved across the 23 institutions.

JAMB had earlier disclosed in August that it would conduct a special screening for over 500 outstanding underage candidates seeking admission for the 2025/2026 academic session. This screening is designed to ensure that only qualified candidates are admitted into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, announced that the screening would be handled by a technical committee between September 22 and 26 at designated centres in Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri. This process aims to address the issue of underage admissions systematically.

Prof. Oloyede noted that while 41,027 underage candidates wrote the 2025 UTME, only a little over 500 met the requirements to proceed to the next stage. This highlights the strict measures JAMB has put in place to ensure that only candidates who meet the minimum criteria are considered for admission.

By extending the deadline, JAMB aims to provide universities with sufficient time to upload and process the screening results of underage candidates without compromising the integrity of the admission process.

The extension of the Post-UTME deadline underscores JAMB’s commitment to maintaining transparency, fairness, and order in Nigeria’s tertiary admission system. It also ensures that candidates who meet the eligibility criteria are not unfairly excluded due to administrative delays on the part of institutions.

With the new deadlines—September 30 for public universities and October 31 for private universities—JAMB expects all affected institutions to comply promptly to avoid further disruptions to the admission process.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has once again demonstrated its commitment to streamlining the admission process in Nigeria by extending the Post-UTME deadline for underage candidates in 23 universities. This proactive move ensures that universities have ample time to submit their screening results and that qualified candidates can proceed with their admissions without unnecessary delays.

As the special screening for underage candidates kicks off in Lagos, Abuja, and Owerri, it is expected that only candidates who meet the set requirements will be admitted into Nigerian universities for the 2025/2026 academic session. This marks another milestone in JAMB’s ongoing efforts to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s tertiary education admission system.