The death of Opesusi Faith Timilehin, a 19-year-old girl in Lagos who committed suicide after receiving her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results on Monday, has drawn the attention of mental health professionals who are calling for a more comprehensive approach to assisting students under exam pressure.
Neighbours described Timilehin, the late teenager, as modest, humble, and full of potential.
Timilehin, who was reported to be from Abeokuta, Ogun State, was living with her elder sibling in Odogunyan, Ikorodu, Lagos State, when she committed suicide after being told she had scored 190 in the recently released 2025 UTME results, which she believed was lower than her previous score from last year.
Many community members expressed grief and blamed the examination body for the incident, while mental health experts advocated for a coordinated response to students’ well-being.
In an interview with PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, Michael Jacob, a psychotherapist and founder of Emotion Compass Academy, underlined that a student’s academic success should never be associated with their self-esteem.
“To every student struggling right now under the weight of disappointment, please understand: your value is not defined by a number on a result slip.
“The UTME is only one doorway out of many. If that door closes, another will open—but you must still be here to walk through it,” Jacob said.
He emphasised the importance of separating academic failure from personal identity, warning the student “not to confuse” their performance with their intelligence.
Jacob noted, “Failing a test does not mean you are a failure. It means you are human. It means you tried. And it means you are still learning. What you need in that moment is not punishment or self-hate but compassion and a plan.”
He also advised young people to reach out for help rather than suffer in silence.
“When emotional pain becomes unbearable, the most important thing is not to suffer in silence. Speak to someone you trust—a counsellor, a therapist, a parent, or a teacher. Talking is not weakness. Asking for help is not failure. In fact, it is one of the strongest, bravest things you can do,” he said.
Sharing a similar sentiment, a mental health psychologist, Patricia Udosen, also underscored the intense pressure students face during exams and how devastating unmet expectations could be.
“The pressure to succeed can be overwhelming, and the disappointment of not meeting expectations can be crushing.
“However, it’s essential to remember that failure is not the end of the road. With the right mindset and support, students can emerge stronger and more resilient,” Udosen said.
She urged students to process their emotions constructively and seek support when needed.
She said, “It’s normal to feel disappointed, frustrated, or sad after experiencing failure. Talking to trusted friends, family, or a counsellor can provide valuable support and guidance.”
Speaking to parents, Udosen called for empathy and reassurance, urging them to offer emotional support to their children.
She admonished, “Listen to your child without judgement and validate their emotions. Focus on their effort and determination, not just results. Support their emotional well-being and remind them that failure is not the end but a stepping stone to success.”
In the same vein, a clinical psychologist, Hammed Lateefat, also highlighted the need to normalise failure as part of life.
She said, “They should know that we fail in life, and they should not allow that to affect their mental health,” she said. “Instead of dwelling on the failure, they should look into their lapses and never give up.”
Following widespread backlash from parents and students, JAMB admitted to errors in the 2025 UTME exams.
JAMB disclosed that a total of 379,997 candidates in the five states of the South East geographical zone and Lagos were affected by the glitches in the 2025 UTME.
JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede revealed this in a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
“206,610 in 65 centres were affected in Lagos, and 92 centres in the Owerri zone comprising 173,387 candidates in the five states of the South East were affected,” he stated.
Oloyede broke into tears on Wednesday as he apologised for the irregularities in the 2025 UTME.
