Why We Have Yet to Release Results of 40,000 Underage UTME Candidates – JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that a lawsuit currently before the Court of Appeal is delaying the release of results for over 40,000 underage candidates who took the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This clarification comes amid public concerns over the withholding of these candidates’ results following the release of the overall 2025 UTME outcomes.

JAMB explained that the delay stems from a legal challenge against its policy requiring candidates to be at least 16 years old for admission. In February, the board appealed a ruling from the Delta State High Court that had barred enforcement of this age restriction, pending resolution of the case. The policy itself has undergone changes, with the previous education minister setting the minimum admission age at 18, only for his successor to lower it back to 16. JAMB also allows exceptionally gifted candidates under 16 to take the exam.

The legal dispute began when lawyer John Aikpokpo-Martins challenged the age restriction, arguing it violates constitutional provisions guaranteeing equal educational opportunities. In a ruling, Justice Anthony O. Akpovi declared the age policy unconstitutional and nullified JAMB’s directive that only candidates turning 16 by August 31, 2025, be admitted. The court ordered that all qualified candidates be admitted regardless of age and issued an injunction preventing enforcement of age limits.

JAMB’s Head of Protocol and Public Relations, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, told reporters in Abuja that the board is awaiting the outcome of its appeal before releasing the withheld results.

In related news, the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies has apologized to Nigerians for the technical difficulties that affected the 2025 UTME. The committee chairman, Oboku Oforji, clarified that the issues were due to human error, not a system failure as initially reported. This comes after JAMB released the exam results on May 9, revealing that over 78 percent of candidates scored below 200 out of 400, sparking widespread public concern and demands for account ability.