JAMB Registrar Breaks Down in Tears, Apologizes for UTME Mass Failure, Announces Retake 

By Emmanuel Kwada

In an emotional press briefing at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede broke down in tears as he issued a heartfelt apology to candidates and parents affected by widespread errors in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Acknowledging systemic failures that led to a staggering mass failure, Oloyede announced that 65 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in Lagos and the South East will conduct retake examinations over the weekend to address the grievances of affected candidates.

The 2025 UTME, conducted between April 24 and May 5, has been mired in controversy following the release of results on May 9, which revealed that over 1.5 million of the 1,955,069 candidates—approximately 78.5%—scored below 200 out of a possible 400 marks. Only 12,414 candidates (0.63%) scored 300 and above, a stark decline from previous years, according to JAMB’s statistical update.

The dismal performance sparked outrage on social media platforms, with candidates, parents, and educators alleging technical glitches, scoring discrepancies, and systemic inefficiencies.

I apologize for the trauma caused to candidates and their families

Prof. Oloyede, visibly moved during the Wednesday briefing, attributed the mass failure to systemic failures in the examination process, particularly at 65 CBT centres in Lagos and the South East. “I apologize for the trauma caused to candidates and their families,” he said, his voice breaking as he addressed the nation.

“The errors in the 2025 UTME results were due to technical deficiencies and systemic vulnerabilities that we failed to address adequately. We take full responsibility, and we are committed to making this right.” JAMB’s data revealed that 206,610 candidates across 65 centres in Lagos and 173,387 candidates across 92 centres in the South East, covering Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states, were affected by these glitches, totaling 379,997 impacted candidates.

The errors in the 2025 UTME results were due to technical deficiencies and systemic vulnerabilities that we failed to address adequately. We take full responsibility, and we are committed to making this right

To rectify the situation, JAMB has scheduled retake examinations for all affected candidates on Friday, May 16, Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, at designated CBT centres in the affected regions. Oloyede assured candidates with clashing timetables, such as those coinciding with other examinations like WAEC or NECO, that they will be rescheduled to alternative dates to ensure fairness.

“No candidate will be disadvantaged. We are working with CBT centres to ensure seamless rescheduling, and candidates will be notified of their new examination details via their notification slips,” he stated.

Candidates are advised to reprint their slips from JAMB’s official portal starting Thursday, May 15, to confirm their new schedules.

The announcement follows intense public pressure, including a planned class action lawsuit led by Alex Onyia, CEO of Educare, who mobilized over 11,467 candidates to demand transparency in JAMB’s scoring process. Onyia’s legal action, set to be filed at the Federal High Court on May 12, seeks the release of marking sheets to verify result accuracy, citing cases like that of a Lagos teacher’s student who scored 158 despite expectations of over 300. JAMB’s response also comes amid reports of technical issues during the exam, including system crashes and freezing screens, with 8,391 candidates formally lodging complaints, according to Legit.ng.

Oloyede disclosed that four CBT centres in Kano, Zaria, Imo, and Ogun were delisted for substandard performance, and 80 suspects are under police investigation for examination malpractices, with Anambra recording the highest number of cases. Additionally, 39,834 results remain withheld due to suspected infractions, including identity and biometric fraud.

We acknowledge that technical failures unfairly impacted many genuine candidates

“While we remain committed to combating malpractice, we acknowledge that technical failures unfairly impacted many genuine candidates,” Oloyede noted, promising a thorough review involving IT experts from the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria and educational assessment professionals.