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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

JAMB releases 2026 UTME results for underage candidates

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • JAMB released 2026 UTME results for candidates who will be under 16 on September 30, mainly so they and their guardians can review their performance.
  • Results cannot be used for admission unless candidates meet exceptional-admission requirements, including a UTME score of at least 320 and 80 percent in relevant secondary-school subjects.
  • The assessment process remains open while JAMB awaits NECO results and warned against attempts to obtain admission outside the approved procedure.

Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the 2026 UTME results of candidates below the prescribed admission age, but the scores alone do not open the door to tertiary admission.

JAMB said the release mainly allows underage candidates, parents and guardians to see how they performed. It defines an underage candidate as an applicant who will be below 16 on September 30, 2026.

The board said only candidates showing exceptional academic ability and maturity can be considered for admission. They must score at least 320 in the UTME, achieve at least 80 percent in relevant Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination subjects where applicable, meet their chosen institution’s Post-UTME requirements and pass a final assessment by experts.

It would be unreasonable to conclude the process without allowing candidates who are awaiting their National Examinations Council (NECO) results to present and have their results verified.

· JAMBThe examination board explained why the assessment process must remain open until awaiting NECO results can be checked.

JAMB said the multi-stage process is intended to distinguish genuinely exceptional candidates from applicants who simply performed well in the UTME. The process remains ongoing, with some assessment and verification stages still incomplete.

Candidates awaiting National Examinations Council results will be allowed to submit them for verification before the final assessment. “It would be unreasonable to conclude the process without allowing candidates who are awaiting their National Examinations Council (NECO) results to present and have their results verified,” JAMB said. Because the NECO results have not yet been released, the board will announce the final assessment date after they become available.

JAMB also warned parents, guardians and candidates about people who might promise admission outside the approved process. Candidates who do not meet the requirements should not present their viewed UTME results to institutions or individuals in an attempt to secure admission.

As soon as the NECO results are released, the Board will fix and announce a date for the final stage of the assessment of the exceptionally performing underage candidates.

· JAMBThe board described the next step for candidates being considered for exceptional admission.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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