The Nigerian Government has honoured top performers in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), including exceptional candidates under the age of 16, recognising their academic achievements and potential to drive national development.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Segun Aina, presented awards and certificates to the candidates at a ceremony in Abuja.
Alausa urged the awardees to look beyond academic certificates and use their knowledge to develop practical solutions through innovation, research and entrepreneurship.
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“You represent the future of our country. You are the ones who will change Nigeria and the world with your innovations,” he said.
“Nigeria needs a generation of young people like you who could transform knowledge into products, services and ideas capable of improving livelihoods, strengthening industries and addressing pressing social challenges.
“We expect, and we look forward to you being the people that will develop innovations, solutions that will impact tens of millions of people in Nigeria and hundreds of millions of people in the world,” he stressed.
The minister said youth development remained a priority for President Bola Tinubu’s administration, noting that about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population is below the age of 30.
On underage admissions, Alausa disclosed that only 108 candidates out of approximately 39,000 UTME candidates under the age of 16 met the requirements for admission into tertiary institutions.
He said more than two million candidates sat the examination, while only 391 underage candidates scored at least 320 out of 400, equivalent to 80 per cent. Further screening reduced the number who qualified to 108.
According to the minister, candidates had to score at least 80 per cent in the UTME, post-UTME and their O’Level examinations, while also demonstrating psychological, emotional and intellectual readiness for university education.
Alausa explained that the minimum admission age policy was designed to ensure candidates could cope with the academic and social demands of university life. He urged institutions to provide an environment that would enable the young students to study and excel.
He stressed that high examination scores alone could not establish a candidate’s readiness for university education, adding that JAMB Registrar Professor Aina was particularly impressed by the candidates’ responses during the screening.
The awardees included Owoeye Daniella Jesudunsin of Ekiti State, who scored 372; Enwere Kingsley Ikenna of Imo State, with 370; Olabiyisi Olanrewaju Oluwatimileyin of Oyo State; Victor-Onyeka Daniel Ifeanyi of Imo State; and Osagiobare Daniel Osaherumwen of Edo State, who each scored 368; and Azike Kenechukwu Anthony of Anambra State, who also scored 368.
All recognised candidates received plaques and certificates, with Alausa congratulating them and expressing confidence that their abilities could lead to breakthroughs that improve millions of lives.
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