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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has acknowledged errors in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which it says negatively impacted the performance of many candidates.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, made this disclosure during a press conference held in Abuja on Wednesday, May 14. He announced that the Board has rescheduled the UTME for 379,997 candidates in five South-Eastern states and Lagos State.
“What should have been a moment of joy has been marred by one or two errors,” Prof. Oloyede admitted.
Describing the situation as a case of “sabotage,” Prof. Oloyede took full responsibility and assured that affected candidates would begin receiving text messages from the Board starting Thursday, May 15.
“I apologise. I take full responsibility,” he said.
However, he did not provide specific details regarding the nature of the errors.
The UTME is a prerequisite for students seeking admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria. The exam consists of four subjects, including English Language as a compulsory paper, and three others relevant to the candidate’s chosen field of study.
The Board released the results of the 2025 UTME on May 5. Of the 1.9 million candidates who sat for the exam, over 1.5 million—approximately 79 percent—scored below 200. Only 12,414 candidates, representing less than one percent, scored 300 and above.
The outcome sparked nationwide concern, with many candidates and their families voicing frustration on social media and calling for a review of the results. Some individuals even filed lawsuits against the examination body.
In response to these concerns, JAMB announced two days ago that it had initiated a formal investigation into the reported issues surrounding the examination. A panel comprising experts from the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria, heads of tertiary institutions serving as Chief External Examiners, the Educational Assessment and Research Network in Africa, measurement specialists, and vice chancellors from across the country has been assembled to conduct a thorough review.
