Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), burst into tears on Wednesday as he apologised for the irregularities in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
“I apologise for the trauma caused to the candidates,” Oloyede stated tearfully during a press conference in Abuja.
JAMB on Wednesday finally admitted to errors which affected the performance of students during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Oloyede admitted to this during an ongoing press briefing in Abuja.
“What should have been a moment of joy has changed due to one or two errors,” Oloyede said.
The UTME is a necessary requirement for admission to Nigerian higher institutions.
It assesses candidates in four areas, including the mandatory use of English, with the remaining three taken from their proposed field of study.
Chronicle NG reports that out of the 1.9 million candidates who sat the UTME, over 1.5 million reportedly scored below 200 out of the maximum 400 marks, raising concerns across the education sector.
According to JAMB, a total of 1,955,069 results were processed, out of which only 4,756 candidates (0.24 per cent) scored 320 and above, considered top-tier performance, while 7,658 candidates (0.39 per cent) scored between 300 and 319, bringing the total for those who scored 300 and above to 12,414 candidates (0.63 per cent).
Furthermore, 73,441 candidates (3.76%) scored between 250 and 299, while 334,560 candidates (17.11%) scored between 200 and 249.
A total of 983,187 candidates (50.29 per cent) scored between 160 and 199, which is usually recognised as the minimal requirement for admission to many universities.
Similarly, 488,197 applicants (24.97%) scored between 140 and 159, 57,419 candidates (2.94%) scored between 120 and 139, 3,820 candidates (0.20%) scored between 100 and 119, and 2,031 candidates (0.10%) scored less than 100.
More than 75% of all applicants (1.5 million) earned less than 200, which is the average score, given that the exam is rated above 400.
This publication also reports that no fewer than 8,000 aggrieved UTME candidates have instituted a lawsuit against JAMB over glitches experienced during the examination.
