The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will release the results of 379,000 candidates who participated in the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) on Wednesday. This resit was necessitated by widespread concerns over mass failures during the initial exam.
JAMB acknowledged technical and human errors, particularly in Lagos and the South-East, that adversely impacted candidates’ performances. Of the 1.9 million candidates who took the UTME, over 1.5 million scored below 200 marks, raising significant alarm among stakeholders.
In response to the outcry, JAMB undertook an investigation, revealing multiple issues that contributed to the disappointing results. JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, publicly accepted responsibility, even shedding tears during the announcement of the resit.
Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s spokesperson, confirmed that the results from the rescheduled exams would be available on Wednesday. Oloyede had previously stated that 379,997 candidates were affected by the glitches, with 206,610 in Lagos and 173,387 in the South-East.
The South-East Caucus in the House of Representatives has called for Oloyede’s resignation, citing a “catastrophic institutional failure” in the conduct of the UTME. They criticized poor communication and the short notice given for the rescheduled exams, which coincided with ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WAEC).
Lawmakers have demanded an immediate cancellation of the 2025 UTME, advocating for a fresh examination after the WAEC and NECO exams to prevent further disadvantage to students. They emphasized the need for accountability within JAMB and the importance of ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all Nigerian students.
