The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Nigeria’s gatekeeper to tertiary education, is embroiled in a firestorm of controversy following the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
With over 1.5 million candidates scoring below 200 out of 400, widespread allegations of technical glitches, and claims of regional bias, the examination body faces unprecedented scrutiny. As stakeholders demand accountability, including calls for the resignation of Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede and even the scrapping of JAMB, the crisis raises critical questions about the institution’s relevance, its impact on Nigeria’s youth, and the path forward for a beleaguered education system.
JAMB’s Pedigree: A Storied Yet Contested Legacy
Established in 1978, JAMB was tasked with standardising admissions into Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. The board’s flagship UTME, a computer-based test (CBT) since 2015, assesses candidates’ readiness for higher education across four subjects, with a maximum score of 400.
Over the decades, JAMB has grown into a formidable institution, conducting exams for millions annually—2.03 million registered for the 2025 UTME.
Its mission emphasises integrity, transparency, and equitable access to education. Prof. Oloyede, widely regarded for his anti-malpractice reforms, has overseen this mandate since 2016.
Yet, JAMB’s history is not without blemish. Past exams have faced criticism for logistical challenges, technical failures, and perceived inequities, particularly for rural candidates lacking access to technology. The transition to CBT, while reducing malpractice, exposed digital divides, with many students struggling with unreliable internet and unfamiliar systems. Despite these hurdles, JAMB has remained a cornerstone of Nigeria’s education system, and its results have determined the academic fates of millions.
The 2025 UTME Debacle: A Perfect Storm
The 2025 UTME, conducted across 882 CBT centres, has been described as a “national tragedy” by stakeholders. Only 420,415 of the 1,955,069 candidates (21.5%) scored above 200, while less than 1% achieved 300 or higher. Social media erupted with the hashtag #ThisIsNotMyResult, as candidates saw their scores significantly plummet from last year and questioned the validity of their scores. Reports of incomplete questions, system logouts, and early exam schedules fueled outrage.
JAMB initially attributed the mass failure to poor preparation and social media distractions, a stance echoed by Education Minister Tunji Alausa, who praised the board’s anti-cheating measures. However, public pressure and mounting complaints—over 1.5 million signatures on petitions—forced a reckoning.
In a tearful apology on May 14, 2025, Prof. Oloyede admitted technical errors affecting 379,997 candidates across 157 centres, primarily in Lagos and the South-East. The errors, linked to unshuffled questions and outdated servers, necessitated resits starting May 16, coordinated with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Impact on Affected Children: A Generation’s Dreams at Risk
The fallout from the 2025 UTME has left Nigeria’s youth in distress. Stories of emotional and physical tolls abound: one student refused food for 48 hours after scoring below 160, despite a history of near-300 scores, and a candidate reportedly died by suicide after being depressed with her scores.
The early exam schedules, requiring minors to arrive by 6 a.m., were criticised for causing fatigue and anxiety, particularly for rural students travelling long distances. Logistical failures, such as delayed starts for disabled candidates and missing candidates during exams, further compounded the crisis. For many, the prospect of retaking the exam adds financial and emotional strain, as families already stretched thin face additional costs.
Claims of Targeted Bigotry: A Regional Divide?
A contentious narrative has emerged, with some alleging that the errors disproportionately affected South-Eastern states, raising suspicions of targeted bias against the Igbo community. Of the 157 affected centres, 92 were in the Owerri zone (covering Abia, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, and Anambra), prompting accusations of regional sabotage, though JAMB dismissed them, attributing the errors to technical oversights in the “LAG vehicle” grouping, which includes both South-West and South-East states.
While no concrete evidence supports claims of bigotry, the concentration of issues in specific regions has fueled distrust. Critics argue that JAMB’s failure to address these perceptions transparently risks deepening regional tensions in an already polarised nation.
JAMB’s Relevance: Indispensable or Obsolete?
Despite the controversy, JAMB remains a critical pillar of Nigeria’s education system. Its standardised testing ensures a merit-based admission process, curbing the proliferation of forged certificates and backdoor admissions.
The CBT format, though imperfect, has reduced malpractice, with only 96 results withheld for infractions in 2025, down from 123 the previous year. JAMB’s data-driven approach also informs educational policy, highlighting systemic gaps like curriculum misalignment and teacher shortages.
However, critics argue that JAMB’s relevance is waning. The mass failure rates—consistent over the past 12 years—reflect deeper systemic issues, such as underfunded schools and outdated curricula, rather than candidate incompetence. Some advocate for a hybrid model combining CBT with paper-based tests to accommodate rural candidates, while others propose decentralising university admissions, akin to systems in other countries.
Universities’ post-UTME screenings, which often override JAMB scores, further question the board’s monopoly over admissions.
Calls to Scrap JAMB and Management Resignation
The 2025 crisis has intensified calls to dismantle JAMB. Former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and others argue that the board is an outdated “relic” stifling Nigeria’s youth. Proposals include scrapping the UTME and allowing universities to set their entrance criteria, which could reduce logistical burdens and regional disparities. However, proponents of JAMB warn that decentralisation risks uneven standards and increased corruption, given Nigeria’s history of admission racketeering.
Demands for Prof. Oloyede’s resignation have also surged, with some labelling his tearful apology as “crocodile tears,” insisting that resignation is the minimum accountability for such a colossal failure. Yet, Oloyede’s supporters highlight his integrity and reform track record, arguing that systemic issues, not individual leadership, are the root cause. The registrar’s decision to fast-track a review, involving experts from the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria and vice-chancellors, signals an attempt to restore trust, but public faith remains fragile.
The Path Forward: Reforms or Reckoning?
The 2025 UTME crisis is a clarion call for reform. JAMB must address immediate concerns by ensuring transparent resits, publishing detailed CBT performance metrics, and auditing its scoring algorithms. Long-term, stakeholders urge collaboration with educational bodies to align curricula, improve teacher training, and bridge the digital divide. Investments in rural CBT infrastructure and flexible exam schedules could mitigate inequities, while an independent audit of JAMB’s processes could rebuild public confidence.
The controversy also underscores Nigeria’s broader educational decay. Rather than scapegoating JAMB, the government must prioritise education funding, which languishes below UNESCO’s recommended 15-20% of national budgets.
The 2025 UTME debacle is more than an administrative failure; it mirrors Nigeria’s educational and societal fractures. JAMB remains a vital institution for all its flaws, but its survival hinges on adapting to modern realities and restoring trust. The affected candidates—379,997 of them—deserve more than apologies; they demand a system that values their potential.
As Nigeria grapples with calls to reform or abolish JAMB, the actual test is whether the nation can rally to secure its youth’s future or risk burying the soul of its next generation.
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