Glitches in UTME results and stakeholders’ preventive insights
By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has been fraught with controversies—from issues with centre postings and system failures to the mass failure of candidates, as reflected in the recently released results by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Expectedly, the situation has drawn widespread reactions from various stakeholders, including parents, teachers, and academics.
Tragically, a candidate in Lagos reportedly took her own life after seeing her UTME result. According to a note she left behind, she believed her performance had fallen far below expectations.
In this report, Western Post spoke with several stakeholders who shared their thoughts on the glitches, their implications, and suggestions for preventing a recurrence.
Oluwafemi Fayomi, a lecturer at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, emphasized the need to learn from the recent problems. He praised JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, for publicly acknowledging the Board’s failings, noting that such transparency is rare among public officials in Nigeria and should be commended.
However, Fayomi described the technical error as “fatal,” adding that some JAMB officials prematurely blamed students for the poor results, suggesting they had simply not prepared well. He said this defensiveness is worrying and symptomatic of deeper institutional problems.
He also criticized the outsourcing of key JAMB operations to consultants, saying this has sidelined in-house experts and created room for sabotage. “Before Oloyede took over, JAMB had internal professionals managing the exams. Now, consultants are being paid heavily while core staff feel neglected, leading to internal discontent,” he said.
On the issue of affected candidates, Fayomi questioned how JAMB plans to compensate students emotionally harmed or unfairly judged by their families due to the results. He also urged the National Assembly to reconsider the bill proposing that UTME results be valid for more than one year, saying it’s time JAMB stops being seen as a “money-making venture.”
Similarly, retired teacher Dn. Samson Oyaleke suggested that some people within JAMB may be working against the registrar. He referenced a claim that a biology teacher who took this year’s UTME scored just 37% in biology—raising concerns about the integrity of the exam system.
Bukola Ahmed, a civil servant, described the recent technical failures as “deeply concerning,” noting that they undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s educational system. She emphasized that candidates deserve a fair, transparent, and reliable assessment process that reflects their effort.
Ahmed called for a thorough and fair re-evaluation of the affected students’ results and urged JAMB to put in place robust systems to prevent similar failures in the future. “If affected students are to retake the exam, JAMB must ensure it is done with complete fairness and transparency,” she added.
