Bwari: Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), expressed his deep apologies after acknowledging errors in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. During a news conference in Bwari, Oloyede took full responsibility for the mistakes and assured that 379,997 affected candidates would receive notifications via SMS by Thursday to reprint their slips for rescheduled exams on Friday and Saturday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the glitches, which led to public outrage and confusion, were linked to a failure in the updated grading software deployed by one of JAMB’s service providers. The issue specifically impacted 65 centers in the Lagos Zone, affecting 206,610 candidates, and 92 centers in the Owerri Zone, impacting over 173,387 candidates. Oloyede apologized for the distress caused and accepted full responsibility for the situation.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that out of the 1.9 million candidates who participated in the UTME, over 1.5 million scored below 200 out of a maximum of 400 marks. JAMB reported that 1,955,069 results were processed, with only 4,756 candidates, or 0.24 percent, scoring 320 and above. Additionally, 7,658 candidates, or 0.39 percent, scored between 300 and 319, bringing the total of those scoring 300 and above to 12,414 candidates or 0.63 percent.
Furthermore, 73,441 candidates, or 3.76 percent, scored between 250 and 299, while 334,560 candidates, or 17.11 percent, scored between 200 and 249. A total of 983,187 candidates, or 50.29 percent, scored between 160 and 199, which is widely considered the minimum threshold for admissions in many institutions.
In contrast, 488,197 candidates, or 24.97 percent, scored between 140 and 159, while 57,419 candidates, or 2.94 percent, scored between 120 and 139. Additionally, 3,820 candidates, or 0.20 percent, scored between 100 and 119, and 2,031 candidates, or 0.10 percent, scored below 100.
Oloyede acknowledged minor errors during the 2025 UTME following investigations. He emphasized JAMB’s strong quality assurance systems, including mock exams, technical simulations, and oversight teams comprising university vice-chancellors, civil society representatives, software engineers, and education experts. However, he admitted that even stringent measures cannot eliminate all risks.
Oloyede described the incident as significant self-harm to the integrity JAMB has built over the years but reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to transparency, fairness, and equity. In response to public concern, JAMB expedited its typical post-exam audit, originally planned for June.
According to him, emergency meetings with stakeholders, including educators, psychometricians, and student associations, were held to address the issue and develop a remediation plan. He reiterated apologies to Nigerian students, parents, and schools affected, clarifying that the oversight by one of their service providers was inexcusable but not sabotage.
Oloyede highlighted that the 2025 UTME recorded the highest individual score in the past 15 years with a score of 374. He noted that this indicated improvements from previous years, with overall performance still aligning with historical trends despite early reports of widespread failure due to the glitch in affected zones.