The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the National Assembly to hold responsible officials accountable for the major disruptions in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The UTME results released on May 9 sparked protests from students who claimed their scores were lower than expected. JAMB’s registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, admitted on April 14 that technical errors affected nearly 380,000 candidates in Lagos and the south-east. These errors, caused by faulty server updates, led to lost exam responses.
JAMB rescheduled exams for those affected but gave only 48 hours’ notice. Meanwhile, WAEC faced backlash after delays lasting up to 10 hours disrupted the English Language paper on May 28. Tests planned for 9 a.m. started as late as 11:45 p.m. in some centers due to a leaked exam paper.
The NBA condemned these incidents, calling them a troubling sign of impunity in institutions that should uphold Nigeria’s standards. The association emphasized students’ constitutional rights to education and dignity, stating exams held under poor and unadvertised conditions violate these rights.
NBA leaders Afam Osigwe and Mobolaji Ojibara demanded that the National Assembly form a joint committee to investigate and sanction those responsible. They warned that failing to act would only encourage more severe failures in the future.
