By Funmilayo Adeyemi
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has described the 108 candidates below 16 years who qualified for admission into tertiary institutions as “gifted students” capable of developing innovations to transform Nigeria and the world.
Alausa gave the commendation while addressing the students in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said that the students had demonstrated exceptional academic ability in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and subsequent screening exercises.
He said Nigeria’s youthful population presented an opportunity for national development, noting that about 70 per cent of the country’s population was below the age of 30.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s administration is implementing transformative policies aimed at improving the future of young Nigerians.
“As you are aware, we have a stringent policy of not admitting anybody less than 16 years into any of our universities.
“But then, for a society that we know we have to nurture, we need to look for talents and look for geniuses in our society and you are the geniuses in our society,” he said.
Alausa said that more than 2.2 million candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, while 2.1 million sat for the examination.
He said 39,000 candidates below the age of 16 sat for the examination, but only 391 scored at least 320 out of 400 marks, representing 80 per cent.
He explained that candidates below 16 years seeking admission into tertiary institutions were required to score at least 80 per cent in the UTME, post-UTME and their O’Level examinations.
According to him, the candidates also underwent screening to assess their maturity, psychological readiness and emotional preparedness for university education.
Alausa said the successful candidates represented an exceptionally small proportion of the millions who registered for the examination.
He urged them not to limit their university education to obtaining certificates but to focus on developing innovations and solutions that would contribute to national growth and global progress.
“You are the ones that will change Nigeria and the world with your innovations,” he said.
The minister congratulated the candidates on behalf of the education ministry and President Tinubu, expressing optimism that they would make meaningful contributions to society.
He also urged the institutions admitting the students to recognise their exceptional abilities and provide an environment that would support their intellectual development.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students were presented with awards of honour for the outstanding performers in the 2026 UTME. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Edited by Philip Yatai
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