On May 14, 2025, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, delivered an emotional apology to Nigerian students and parents for errors that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), acknowledging systemic flaws that led to widespread dissatisfaction with the results. The admission, made during a press conference in Abuja, has intensified calls for reforms in Nigeria’s examination system.
The 2025 UTME, conducted in April, saw 1,955,069 candidates register, with 1,911,551 results released. However, 39,834 results were withheld due to infractions, including 3,656 cases of “extraneous fingerprints” linked to biometric fraud, and 96 for other malpractices. Statistical analysis revealed that 78.5% of candidates (1,534,654) scored below 200 out of 400, with only 420,415 exceeding this threshold, and less than 1% scoring above 300. The poor performance sparked outrage, with candidates reporting technical glitches, such as incomplete questions in the Use of English section, and inconsistent scores. A candidate in Maitama, Abuja, cited missing questions, resulting in a 170 score, while another, previously scoring 287 in 2024, dropped to 173.
Oloyede admitted that technical inefficiencies, including faulty CBT centre systems, contributed to the issues. He highlighted specific centres, such as Tigh Technologies Limited in Abuja and Wudil Computer Information Technology in Kano, for colluding in biometric fraud. Four centres were blacklisted for substandard performance, including Adventure Associate in Kano and Soronara Ventures in Imo. JAMB has launched a review with experts from the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria and vice-chancellors to scrutinize registration, examination, and result release stages. The board rescheduled exams for affected candidates and withheld results of 244 candidates involved in “WhatsApp runs” for leaked questions.
The Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, initially attributed the high failure rate to anti-malpractice measures, but public pressure, including lawsuits from over 8,000 candidates demanding transparency in marking, prompted Oloyede’s apology. Critics, including former governor Peter Obi, argue the results reflect a decaying education system, with rural candidates disadvantaged by limited access to technology and qualified teachers. JAMB’s commitment to fairness includes releasing detailed mark sheets and allowing score disputes, but the controversy underscores deeper challenges in Nigeria’s education sector, where 70% of schools lack functional ICT facilities.