The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has again come under heavy criticism after widespread technical failures marred the exercise.
Although JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, publicly apologized for the poor performance of candidates, the fallout continues to stir national outrage and demands for reform.
In response to the controversies, the House of Representatives launched a probe into the UTME’s technical glitches and called on the Federal Government to direct JAMB to release the results of underage candidates. Lawmakers are also advocating for Computer-Based Test centres to be established in all 774 local government areas to alleviate exam stress.
But critics say these measures are reactionary and fall short of addressing the root causes. Before JAMB acknowledged the glitches, many stakeholders had already either defended the board or blamed candidates.
Haruna Danjuma, National President of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria controversially stated, “We are all responsible,” blaming parents, students, teachers, and the government for systemic failure. He cited declining student discipline, parental neglect, and the abandonment of reading culture.
A UTME supervisor added that many candidates struggled with basic computer tasks—like entering registration numbers or navigating test pages—highlighting widespread digital illiteracy.
The Congress of University Academics, CONUA, saw the poor performance as a reflection of deeper problems, including weak curriculum delivery, poor learning environments, and teacher quality.
CONUA President Niyi Sunmonu called for an overhaul of curriculum and investment in education infrastructure.
Education reform advocate Ike Onyechere, founder of Exam Ethics Marshall International, pointed to moral decay in the system. He blamed the failure not just on students, but on schools, government, and parents.
He dismissed concerns over CBT, insisting that the technology is not the issue, but rather a lack of academic preparedness.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Tunji Alausa attributed the poor performance to stricter anti-malpractice measures introduced by JAMB. However, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, disagreed, blaming JAMB for poor planning.
NANS PRO Adeyemi Ajasa criticized the early morning exam schedules and short preparation window, calling for exams to be spread across four weeks.
Joseph Ayodele, Executive Director of Africa Brands Review, pointed to a generational and infrastructural disconnect. According to him, UTME pass rates have declined sharply from 66% in 2007 to just 22% in 2025.
He attributed this to underdeveloped e-learning systems, outdated teaching methods, and lack of teacher recruitment.
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Despite Prof. Oloyede’s apology and his admission that technical glitches marred the exams, education advocates remain skeptical.
Omole Ibukun of the Creative Change Centre called for a democratic audit of JAMB’s systems to ensure accountability. He stressed that underfunding and corruption have left the CBT infrastructure vulnerable to failure.
Adaramoye Michael Lenin of the Education Rights Campaign criticized JAMB’s delayed admission of failure, saying it was forced by public pressure. “JAMB initially ignored the flaws and blamed students until the backlash forced them to acknowledge system errors,” he said.
The Youth Rights Campaign commended JAMB’s decision to reschedule exams for nearly 380,000 candidates affected in Lagos and the South-East but warned against rushing the retake during the ongoing WAEC exams.
Alex Onyia, CEO of EDUCARE Tech Team, who had flagged similar irregularities in 2023, noted that the glitches disproportionately affected southeastern candidates again.
He said his team had to go to court in 2023 to force JAMB to allow external review, which revealed human errors—not system failure.
This recurring pattern of glitches, particularly affecting certain regions, has led to suspicions of targeted bias.
However, JAMB’s latest invitation to external experts to investigate the issues, coupled with the House of Representatives’ probe, may restore some confidence—if followed through with transparency and accountability.
Many stakeholders now agree: a credible, independent audit of JAMB’s systems is the only way to identify recurring failures and ensure future UTME exams are fair, accessible, and free from controversy.
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