In a groundbreaking move, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a new policy that allows exceptionally gifted students under the age of 16 to sit for the highly competitive Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). This new initiative, referred to as the “Exceptionally Brilliant Window,” aims to accommodate students whose intellectual abilities surpass their peers, thereby allowing them to pursue tertiary education earlier than the standard age requirement of 16.
Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB, shared the development during an appearance on the popular socio-political television program Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, aired on Channels Television. Oloyede, who is also a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, emphasized that while the policy is designed for exceptional cases, it has sparked both enthusiasm and concerns within the educational community.
“Let me make this clear,” Oloyede began, “the 16-year-old minimum age requirement for university admission remains intact. However, we are aware that there are exceptional students whose intellectual capacity is far beyond their age. These are the students we are catering for. If they are below 16 and they are exceptional, they should have the opportunity to sit for the UTME.”
According to the JAMB Registrar, the idea to create this exception was born out of the recognition that Nigeria harbors a large number of exceptionally gifted students. However, he clarified that these students represent a very small fraction of the population. “In Nigeria, we have so many brilliant minds. But these exceptional students are one in a million,” he noted.
The policy, which has already gained traction, has seen more than 2,000 young candidates sign up within a few days of the announcement. This figure, Oloyede revealed, includes children as young as 10, 11, and 12 years old. While the response has been overwhelming, it has also raised concerns about how parents might exploit the system.
“Some parents are already exploiting this opportunity,” Oloyede revealed. “I’m surprised to see that just a few days after launching this exception, over 2,000 students have registered. Some of these students are just 10 or 11 years old, and their parents have found ways to manipulate their ages. They are falsifying documents, even going so far as to swear affidavits to make their children appear older or more advanced than they really are.”
This revelation highlights the lengths to which some Nigerian parents may go to ensure their children gain an early advantage in the education system. The idea of using age manipulation to artificially enhance the academic trajectory of a child is a concerning issue in a nation already grappling with issues of educational integrity and fairness.
While this age manipulation has been ongoing in Nigeria for years, it is now gaining new traction in light of the JAMB policy. Many parents have reportedly been inflating their children’s ages to make them appear older, ensuring that they can enroll in advanced classes and take exams like the UTME much earlier than they are biologically or developmentally ready.
Oloyede warned against this practice, stating, “What we are seeing is that some parents are fabricating their children’s age through affidavits, all in a bid to boost their CVs. They want to say, ‘My child graduated at 13,’ or ‘My child is the youngest person in the country to gain admission into university.’ This kind of behavior is unfair, and it undermines the whole purpose of this policy.”
Public Reaction and Concerns
The announcement has sparked a mixture of excitement and skepticism from various quarters. On one hand, the opportunity for exceptionally gifted students to enter the academic world at a younger age is seen as a positive development that could propel Nigeria’s brightest minds to achieve their full potential. On the other hand, critics warn that the policy could lead to a situation where children are rushed into tertiary education without the emotional maturity or developmental readiness needed to succeed at such a young age.
Dr. Seyi Alabi, a developmental psychologist, expressed concerns about the long-term impact of such early academic acceleration. “While the policy seems well-intentioned, we must be careful not to overlook the emotional and psychological readiness of young students,” Alabi cautioned. “At 10 or 11, children are still growing and developing their social and emotional skills. They might excel academically, but can they handle the pressure of university life, with its social dynamics and stresses?”
The new policy also raises questions about the readiness of Nigerian universities to accommodate such young students. Would these students, who are still in their early teens, be able to adapt to the challenges of university-level education? And, more importantly, would Nigerian universities be prepared to support them with the necessary psychological and academic resources?
The Long-Term Effects
In the long term, Oloyede hopes that the Exceptionally Brilliant Window will help identify and nurture Nigeria’s brightest minds, potentially giving the country an edge in global academia and innovation. He also expressed hope that the policy would motivate students to work harder and pursue excellence in their studies, knowing that if they demonstrate exceptional ability, they could fast-track their journey into higher education.
However, despite the policy’s potential benefits, the issue of age manipulation remains a serious concern. As Oloyede mentioned, while the program targets students with exceptional intelligence, the realities of Nigerian society could result in systemic abuse, undermining the policy’s original intentions.
