Under-16 Candidates Face Strict Admission Rules for 2026 UTME

Candidates younger than 16 years must achieve at least 80 percent in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, post-UTME and O’Level examinations to be considered for tertiary admission. The policy also requires these candidates to undergo a screening process that assesses maturity, emotional preparedness and psychological readiness for university study. Nigeria’s general policy does not admit anyone under 16 years into any university. In the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, 39,000 candidates under the age of 16 sat for the exam, but only 391 reached the minimum of 320 marks. From that group, just 108 candidates qualified for admission into tertiary institutions. Over 2.2 million people signed up for the 2026 UTME, and 2.1 million actually sat for it. Under-16 candidates who meet the score requirement and pass the maturity screening may be eligible for admission despite the overall restriction.