The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)
has publicly acknowledged significant errors in the administration of the 2025
Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), leading to widespread
candidate failures. During a press briefing in Abuja, JAMB Registrar Prof.
Is-haq Oloyede expressed deep regret over the situation, stating, "We are
not perfect," and took full responsibility for the mishap.
Scope of the Issue
- Affected
Candidates: Approximately 379,997 candidates
across 157 centers in Lagos and the South East states (Imo, Anambra,
Enugu, Ebonyi, and Abia) were impacted due to technical glitches.
- Nature
of the Error: The errors stemmed from the failure
to apply a crucial software patch to some servers, disrupting the upload
of candidates’ responses during the examination.
- Performance
Statistics: Out of 1.9 million candidates, over
1.5 million scored below 200 out of 400, marking a 78.9% failure rate.
Remedial Actions
- Rescheduled
Exams: JAMB has announced a resit for the affected
candidates, scheduled between May 16 and May 18, 2025.
- Candidate
Notification: Affected individuals will receive
text messages with details about the rescheduled examinations.
Public and Stakeholder Reactions
- Commendations:
Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, praised JAMB for its
transparency and accountability in addressing the issue.
- Criticisms:
Activist Omoyele Sowore called for the abolishment of JAMB, labeling it as
an unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Calls
for Reform: Education stakeholders have urged
JAMB to implement more flexible examination scheduling and improve
technical infrastructure to prevent future occurrences.
This incident underscores the critical need for robust
technical systems and accountability mechanisms in national examinations.
JAMB's prompt acknowledgment and remedial actions are steps toward restoring
public confidence in the examination process.
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