The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has admitted to errors that significantly impacted students in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
During a press briefing in Abuja, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of JAMB, apologized for the mishap that marred what should have been a moment of joy for many candidates.
The UTME, a critical prerequisite for admission into Nigeria's tertiary institutions, tests candidates in four subjects, including the compulsory Use of English. Of the 1.9 million candidates who sat for the examination, over 1.5 million scored below 200 out of a maximum of 400 marks, sparking concerns across the education sector.
Prof. Oloyede, visibly emotional during a separate press conference in Bwari, took full responsibility for the errors. He revealed that the glitches originated from a failure in deploying updated grading software by one of JAMB's service providers. This issue affected 65 centers in the Lagos Zone, impacting 206,610 candidates, and 92 centers in the Owerri Zone, affecting another 173,387 candidates. The affected states include Lagos and the five Southeast states of Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia, and Ebonyi.
To rectify the situation, JAMB has announced that 379,997 affected candidates will be notified via SMS to reprint their slips for rescheduled examinations slated for Friday and Saturday. "I apologize for the trauma caused to the candidates, and I take full responsibility for this," Oloyede stated.
The examination results showed that only 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 and above, considered top-tier performance, while 7,658 candidates (0.39%) scored between 300 and 319. A total of 12,414 candidates (0.63%) scored 300 and above. Meanwhile, 73,441 candidates (3.76%) scored between 250 and 299, and 334,560 candidates (17.11%) scored between 200 and 249. The majority, 983,187 candidates (50.29%), scored between 160 and 199, which is widely regarded as the minimum threshold for admissions in many institutions.
Prof. Oloyede emphasized JAMB's commitment to transparency, fairness, and equity, despite acknowledging that even the most stringent quality assurance measures cannot eliminate all risks. "This unfortunate incident represents significant self-harm to the integrity we've built over the years," he remarked.
In response to public concern, JAMB fast-tracked its typical post-exam audit and convened emergency meetings with stakeholders to address the issue and outline remediation strategies. "We apologize sincerely to the Nigerian students, parents, and schools affected. While this was not a case of sabotage, the oversight by one of our service providers was inexcusable."
Despite the challenges, the 2025 UTME recorded the highest individual score in the last 15 years, with a top score of 374. This indicates some improvements from previous years, although widespread failure reports largely stemmed from the glitches in the affected zones.
