Education Desk| The Merit
Lagos, Nigeria – May 6, 2025
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), revealing that over 1.5 million out of the 1.9 million candidates who sat for the examination scored below 200.
This means nearly 79 percent of the candidates failed to meet the benchmark often required for admission into many Nigerian universities, raising concerns about the quality of education and preparedness of secondary school graduates across the country.
According to the official statistics released by JAMB, only about 400,000 candidates scored 200 and above, a figure that education analysts say is worrisome considering the rising demand for higher education in Nigeria.
Reacting to the development, stakeholders in the education sector have called for urgent reforms, blaming poor teaching quality, lack of motivation, inadequate infrastructure, and the growing distraction of social media among students.
“This is an academic emergency,” said Dr. Funmilayo Aribidesi, an education consultant. “We can’t afford to normalize failure at this scale. There’s a need for a nationwide education audit and serious investment in secondary school learning.”
Parents and teachers across social media platforms have also expressed concern, with many blaming the increasing obsession with social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat for the decline in academic focus among Nigerian youths.
The UTME is a prerequisite examination for entry into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. A score of 200 and above is generally regarded as competitive, although some institutions accept lower cut-offs for specific programs.
The latest figures add to the growing anxiety about the country’s educational future and the preparedness of its young population for the demands of a fast-changing global economy.
