Amid growing public outcry over the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, publicly apologized to Nigerians on Friday, tearfully admitting that technical errors affected the outcome of the exam.
This comes after thousands of candidates lamented widespread glitches, incomplete questions, and abrupt disconnections during the computer-based test. Many candidates have threatened legal action, with over 8,000 students having formally lodged complaints. Education advocate and CEO of Educare, Alex Onyia, revealed that a lawsuit will be filed against JAMB at the Federal High Court.
“There is ample evidence to prove that JAMB’s system was inefficient, thereby causing serious harm to these students’ mental health,” Onyia said via his X handle.
While JAMB announced a resit opportunity for affected candidates, education stakeholders insist that deeper systemic reforms are necessary to prevent future mass failures. The poor 2025 UTME performance has sparked nationwide debate, with opinions divided on who is to blame.
Dr. Michael Ogbemudia of Chrisland University described the outcome as an indictment on successive governments, citing neglect, underfunding, and lack of political will to prioritize education.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi echoed similar concerns, stating, “The latest JAMB results once again highlight the consequences of decades of underinvestment in education.”
However, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disagreed. He attributed the high failure rate to JAMB’s success in curbing malpractice through stricter CBT measures. “It’s a reflection of exams being done the proper way,” he insisted.
In contrast, Dr. Chidiebere Nwachukwu of the University of Nigeria warned that blaming malpractice alone is misleading. He stressed that declining standards, poor teacher motivation, and the erosion of merit in the education system are core issues. “The motivation to study is gone, and parents often encourage cheating,” he said.
Dr. Ata-Awaji Reuben of Topfaith University described the 2025 UTME result statistics as a stark reflection of Nigeria’s ailing education sector. He called on the government to hire competent teachers, ensure better remuneration, and promote intellectualism over wealth glorification.
As the controversy unfolds, experts agree on one point: Nigeria must take urgent and sustained action to revive its educational system or risk further deterioration.
