The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has taken a baffling and deeply unjust step by withholding the results of candidates they have unilaterally labelled as underage. This is not just an educational misstep—it is a calculated attack on the hopes, efforts, and futures of hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent Nigerian children.
And the question that every reasonable Nigerian should be asking is, ‘How did we get here?’
Withholding Results? What offence did these candidates commit?
Let’s be clear: these candidates did nothing illegal. They followed the process. They registered through recognised centres. They sat for the exams. They answered the questions. They did their part.
Now imagine the shock — after months of preparation and prayer — of checking your results only to be told nothing. Not even a “You failed”, but a silent erasure, a message that says, “You don’t matter. You shouldn’t have written it in the first place.”
This type of treatment is beyond policy. This is cruelty.
ALSO READ: The 6 Best Online Universities in Nigeria for Busy People Who Still Want That Degree
ALSO READ: Who Takes Over Buhari’s Legacy Among Northern Nigeria Politicians?
Education Is Not a Crime
Nigeria’s education system already faces significant challenges. Parents make sacrifices, private schools work round the clock to prepare students, and some children excel well ahead of their years.
Should we now start punishing brilliance? Should we frustrate those who manage to move faster in a system that barely moves at all?
By withholding results without warning, without clear policy guidance, and without providing any alternative solution, JAMB has created confusion, fear, and frustration. They are punishing children for the “crime” of ambition.
The Real Question: Where Was JAMB All Along?
If JAMB suddenly has a problem with underage candidates, the question must be asked:
Why accept their registration in the first place?
Why allow them to sit for exams?
Why collect their money, only to destroy their hope?
This reeks of irresponsibility. If age restriction is such a sacred law, build it into the registration portal. Establish the rule at the outset, rather than at the conclusion, to prevent candidates from expending unnecessary time, energy, and resources.
Correct, Don’t Crush
Let it be known: this is not correction — it is destruction. If JAMB wants to implement an age policy, they must do so with dignity. They must announce it ahead of time. And they must allow a 3- to 5-year phase-out period so that schools, parents, and students can adjust without damage.
Anything short of such an arrangement is wickedness clothed in bureaucracy.
What Happens Next?
Let’s say a child was 15 and scored 250. Is JAMB telling us that result is useless? Are they going to block that child’s future because of one birthday difference?
What message are we sending to brilliant kids in Nigeria? Do we imply that their achievements hold no significance? That the system is above logic?
We must rise to say, ‘No more.’
JAMB, This Is a Wake-Up Call
Nigerians demand:
(1). The immediate release of all withheld results.
(2). A clear, public explanation and apology to affected families.
(3). A proper age policy framework should be implemented gradually, rather than abruptly.
(4). Reforms should be implemented that respect the intelligence, emotions, and rights of children.
JAMB must not be allowed to become a tool of oppression. This is especially true in a nation where education is already facing significant challenges.
Final Word
Policies should guide, not crush aspirations. JAMB’s current stance is not reform—it is a national embarrassment. And unless this course is corrected urgently, the board will go down in history as the institution that turned progress into punishment.
Let brilliance breathe. Let justice speak. Let every child’s effort count.
Dr. Kay Asia.
Dr Asian is an international scholar based in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
