—-Apologizes For Impact On Candidates
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has acknowledged errors that negatively impacted the performance of candidates during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
During a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the Board’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, tearfully apologized for the glitches, which he said caused trauma to many candidates.
“I apologise for the trauma caused the candidates,” Oloyede said, his voice choked with emotion. He had earlier acknowledged that “one or two errors” had marred what should have been a joyous occasion for the affected students.
The glitches, which affected a significant portion of candidates, were particularly prevalent in the South East and Lagos zones. Prof. Oloyede revealed that a total of 379,997 candidates were impacted.
In Lagos, 206,610 candidates in 65 centres were affected, while 173,387 candidates in 92 centres across the five states of the South East, including Owerri, were also affected.
The UTME, a crucial prerequisite for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions, assesses candidates in four subjects: the compulsory Use of English and three others based on their chosen field of study.
The errors have raised concerns about the integrity of the examination process and the potential implications for candidates’ future academic plans.
Meanwhile, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that 379,997 candidates in the South East and Lagos will be rescheduled for another Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) following disruptions during the 2025 examination.
The announcement was made by the Board’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
He referred to the issue as a “sabotage” of the examination process and took full responsibility for the disruptions.
“I apologise, I take full responsibility,” Oloyede stated tearfully, adding that affected candidates would begin receiving text messages regarding the rescheduled exam starting Thursday.
This comes amidst growing concerns about the overall performance of the 1.9 million candidates who sat for the UTME, with reports indicating that over 1.5 million candidates scored below 200 out of the maximum 400 marks, prompting discussions on the examination’s validity and fairness.