By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
ABUJA — In a rare moment of emotional candour, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, broke down in tears on Wednesday as he admitted to widespread technical failures that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), prompting the board to order a retake for no fewer than 379,997 candidates nationwide.
The announcement came during a press conference in Abuja, where the visibly distraught Oloyede took full responsibility for what he described as “a combination of human error and technological malfunction,” which affected candidates across key centres in Lagos and the Southeast.
“This is a deeply regrettable incident. As the head of this organisation, I take full responsibility,” he said, pausing at intervals to wipe away tears. “We owe these young Nigerians and their families not just an apology but a second chance at a fair and credible examination.”
Massive Impact in Lagos and Southeast
According to the registrar, Lagos State was the most affected, with 206,610 candidates scheduled to retake the examination. Another 173,387 students across Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Anambra States — collectively known as the Owerri Zone — are also required to re-sit the test due to confirmed malfunctions in 92 accredited centres.
“Sixty-five centres in Lagos were flagged during our post-examination audit, and we had no choice but to nullify the results from those centres,” Oloyede stated. “In the Southeast, it was the same unfortunate scenario across 92 centres. We must ensure fairness.”
Root of the Problem: Negligence and System Flaws
Professor Oloyede did not mince words when attributing the problem to “carelessness on the part of some JAMB technical staff and consultants,” noting that many of the system failures could have been prevented with stricter supervision and better infrastructure.
“There were clear warnings from our preliminary quality assurance reports before the examination began. We failed to act on time, and that cost these students their peace of mind,” he confessed.
Reactions and Next Steps
Parents, candidates, and civil society organisations have since expressed outrage and disappointment over the recurring issues with the UTME process, calling for comprehensive reforms in JAMB’s operations.
In response, Oloyede announced the immediate suspension of technical contractors responsible for the affected centres and a full-scale audit of JAMB’s digital infrastructure.
“We are instituting an independent panel of ICT experts and education stakeholders to review this year’s UTME operations. Their mandate will be to recommend far-reaching reforms to prevent such a failure from happening again,” he added.
JAMB also pledged to cover the logistical costs of candidates who will retake the exam, including transportation stipends and accommodation for those coming from distant areas.
Background and Past Challenges
The UTME, introduced in 1978, has been Nigeria’s standardised pathway to tertiary education, but its credibility has increasingly been questioned due to technical lapses in recent years. In 2022 and 2023, isolated incidents of biometric failures and delayed results were recorded, though none on this scale.
This year’s debacle, however, marks the largest instance of post-exam annulment in the board’s history.
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Education analysts warn that this may affect admission timelines for the 2025/2026 academic session if not promptly addressed.
While JAMB’s move to offer a retake has been welcomed by many as a fair redress, the emotional display by Professor Oloyede underscores the human cost of institutional failure in Nigeria’s education sector.
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“These children deserve better. We owe it to the nation to do better,” he reiterated.
