The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has publicly acknowledged its responsibility for the widespread failure of candidates in the recently concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). At a press conference, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede apologized to all affected candidates, taking full accountability for the error that led to the failure of many students.
Oloyede explained that nearly 380,000 candidates, primarily from six states including Lagos, Imo, Anambra, Oyo, Abia, and Ebonyi, would need to retake the exam from May 16 to 18, 2025. This decision follows an investigation revealing that a technical failure affected 157 exam centers across the country, leading to poor performance.
Acknowledging the frustration and anger from the public, Oloyede expressed deep regret over the incident and assured that JAMB would learn from this error. He explained that the malfunction occurred due to negligence by a service provider, not a system-wide glitch or sabotage, and promised that JAMB would improve its processes moving forward.
Furthermore, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised concerns over the issue, threatening legal action if JAMB does not review the results. ASUU criticized the large number of South Eastern candidates affected, claiming it was an unfair barrier to university admissions for students from that region. They are calling for immediate action from JAMB to correct the situation, warning that the issue could escalate into a national protest.
The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has also commended JAMB for admitting its mistake, though it cautioned that other candidates might claim similar issues affected their results. Despite this, NAPTAN has expressed confidence in JAMB’s commitment to resolving the problem and ensuring fairness for all candidates.
