UTME: Education minister clarifies underage admission policy

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has explained the conditions under which candidates below the age of 16 can qualify for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions, saying a high score in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) alone is not sufficient.
Alausa said underage candidates seeking exemption from the minimum admission age must demonstrate exceptional academic ability as well as emotional and psychological readiness for higher education.
“As you are aware, we have a stringent policy of not admitting anybody less than 16 years into any of our universities,” the minister said.
He added that the government needed to identify and nurture exceptionally g...