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Tag: 2025 UTME

  • 2025 UTME: 176 underage candidates undergo screening for admission 

    2025 UTME: 176 underage candidates undergo screening for admission 

    About 176 exceptional underage candidates who scored high marks in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have undergone screening for 2025/2026 admissions. 

    The screening exercise, designed to ensure that only outstanding and well-prepared candidates below the age of 16 are considered for admission into tertiary institutions for the 2025/2026 academic session, was conducted by experts put together by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

    The panel members were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC), Vice – Chancellors, the Gifted School, among others.

    Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the Chairman of the Abuja Centre for the screening of under-16 candidates, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, expressed satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the exercise, which was also held simultaneously in Owerri and Lagos.

    Adedoja explained that candidates first sat for a written examination before proceeding to face-to-face interviews.

    “They did the first paper which took like 20 minutes and after that the papers were marked and they proceeded to the second session and after that the third one and we will have a face to face interaction with them,” he said.

    The former Minister of Sports noted that 22 candidates participated in the Abuja centre making a total of 176 candidates nationwide.

    “22 candidates are here in Abuja centre, and nationwide is 176,” he said.

    He added that JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, would determine when the results of the screening would be released.

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    Also speaking after monitoring the exercise, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Dandutse, commended JAMB for providing a platform for talented underage candidates to demonstrate their abilities.

    “Now they are giving leverage to the underage so that they can go to the universities based on their ability to pass these exams.

    “It is very important for them (underage) to be assessed because of the maturity of focus, because if you take underage to go to the university and doesn’t perform, it is a useless venture. 

    “So it is better that the exam is carried out so that the best talent can be selected and it will pave the way for the development of this country,” the lawmaker, who represents Katsina South Senatorial District, said.

    Dandutse also reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s education policies aimed at national development, while commending JAMB for its consistency and transparency.

    “I want to sincerely commend the leadership of JAMB for their milestone to make sure that this exam is written across the country,” he said.

    Also speaking, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, Oboku Oforji, who also monitored the exercise in Abuja, lauded the students for their outstanding performance, noting that it reflected Nigeria’s competitiveness in education across Africa.

    “’Because for the underage, to have performed exceptionally well, it tells how we are doing in education as of today. And we are very proud of the agency-JAMB, and we want to encourage them to do more. Even though we believe that with what we sighted, more is supposed to be encouraged, ” Offorji, who was joined by his committee members, said.

    Meanwhile, a total of 38 out of 43 shortlisted underage candidates participated in the screening exercise at the Owerri Centre.

    Chairman of the Owerri Centre and Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof. Paulinus Okwelle, expressed satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the exercise. 

    He commended the candidates for their orderly behaviour and assured that the screening process would strictly adhere to the guidelines provided by JAMB.

    The under-16 candidates at the Owerri Centre, were drawn from the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones.

    Recall that in Nigeria, the official age for university admission is 18, though the National Policy allows entry from age 16.

    A total of 41,027 candidates applied under the category of exceptionally brilliant underage candidates for the 2025 UTME, but only 599 scored 80 percent and above. 

    Some were later disqualified for not meeting the same benchmark in their O-Level or Post-UTME results, leaving only 176 confirmed for final assessment.

  • 2025 UTME result ranks best in 12 years despite technical glitches

    2025 UTME result ranks best in 12 years despite technical glitches

    …as data show more candidates scored above 300

    The results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board have shown remarkable improvements in the performances of candidates who wrote the examination in the last 12 years.

    Data from the Board showed a clear upward trend in performances of candidates who sat for the examination. 

    According to official data released by the Public Communication Advisor for JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin on Sunday, 17,025 candidates representing 0.88 per cent of the total 1,931,467 who sat for the 2025 UTME exam scored 300 and above.

    The score marked the highest number of top scorers since the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format was introduced in 2013 by JAMB.

    In comparison, only 8,401 candidates (0.46 per cent) scored 300 and above in 2024, while 5,318 (0.35 per cent) reached the same benchmark in 2023 and 5, 833 (0.34 per cent) in 2022.

    Also, only 724 candidates (0.06 per cent) scored 300+ in 2021, and none in both 2014 and 2013.

    The data also indicated a full release of results in 2025, with all 1,931,467 candidates receiving their scores surpassing the 1,842,364 results released in 2024.

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    Further analysis of the 2025 results showed that 117,373 candidates (6.08 per cent) scored 250 and above, a significant increase from 77,070 (4.18 per cent) in 2024 and 56,736 (3.73 per cent) in 2023.

    65, 336 (3.8 per cent) candidates scored 250 and above in 2022 and 21,368 candidates (1.63 per cent) scored 250 and above in 2021.

    Also, 565,988 candidates representing 29.3 per cent scored 200 and above, compared to 439,961 (24 per cent) in 2024 and 355,689 (23.36 per cent) in 2023.

    Despite these gains, the majority of candidates – 1,365,479 (70.7 per cent) still scored below 200 in 2025.

    However, this figure showed a slight improvement from 76 per cent in 2024 and 76.64 per cent in 2023.

    A year-by-year comparison underscored the fluctuating nature of performance trends. 

    In 2021, only 168,650 candidates (13 per cent) scored 200 and above, while 188, 567 (11 per cent) scored 200 and above.

    In 2016, the number was much higher at 568,847 (34 per cent).

  • 2025 UTME: DSS, police arrest 20 for hacking JAMB website

    No fewer than 20 suspects are currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force, in Abuja, for hacking the 2025 Computer-based test examinations conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), The Nation gathered yesterday.

    The suspects are part of a syndicate believed to have over 100 persons, who specialise in hacking the computer servers of examination bodies like JAMB and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

    Security sources disclosed that the suspects have confessed to sabotaging the Computer-Based-Test system in order to discredit JAMB and discourage students from using CBT for future WAEC/NECO examinations.

    The source said one of the suspects confessed that the syndicate would

    install an attacking software on the examination body hardware.

    The software in turn would remotely hack JAMB servers at any targeted CBT centre.

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    The source  said the suspects are from Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Kano, Delta, among other states.

    The source, however, pleaded that their names be left out since they would soon be charged to court.

    “While the controversy raged, little did the public know that the DSS had been covertly monitoring and investigating this dangerous web of attacks. The investigations led to the arrest of over 20 persons across the country, with arrests still ongoing.

    “The strategy of these hackers involved mounting routers within the vicinity of the targeted CBT centres. The routers would in turn override JAMB platforms at the centres, making it easy for the special candidates who paid to get answers to the questions.

    “The intrusion of the ghost software by the syndicate distorted the system, making answers provided by candidates during the exam to be at variance with the questions. This eventually led to the recorded mass failure,” said the security source.

    The entire hacking process was to influence high scores for special candidates who paid between ₦700, 000 and two million naira, it was gathered.

    The source also disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that several members of the syndicate own private schools and colleges, and make huge sums of money from their special centres.

    They fear that fully integrating WAEC/NECO for CBT type of examinations will ruin their illegal business, it was learnt.

    The source, however, added that as at yesterday evening, “no case of complicity had been established against the seven JAMB staff who supervised the service providers at the two locations.”

  • 2025 UTME: DSS, police arrest 20 for hacking results

    2025 UTME: DSS, police arrest 20 for hacking results

    No fewer than 20 suspects are in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Police Force, in Abuja for hacking the 2025 Computer-based test examinations conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), The Nation gathered on Friday.

    The suspects are part of a syndicate believed to have over 100 persons, who specialise in hacking the computer servers of examination bodies like JAMB and the National Examinations Council (NECO). 

    Security sources disclosed that the suspects have confessed to sabotaging the Computer-Based-Test system to discredit JAMB and discourage students from using CBT for future WAEC/NECO examinations. 

    The source said one of the suspects confessed that the syndicate would

    install an attacking software on the examination body hardware. 

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    The software, in turn, would remotely hack JAMB servers at any targeted CBT centre. 

    The source also listed suspects from Lagos; Edo, Anambra, Kano, Delta, among other states. 

    The source, however, pleaded that their names be left out since, they would soon be charged to court. 

    “While the controversy raged, little did the public know that the DSS had been covertly monitoring and investigating this dangerous web of attacks. The investigations led to the arrest of over 20 persons across the country, with arrests still ongoing. 

    “The strategy of these hackers involved mounting routers within the vicinity of the targeted CBT centres. The routers would, in turn, override JAMB platforms at the centres, making it easy for the special candidates who paid to get answers to the questions. 

    “The intrusion of the ghost software by the syndicate distorted the system, making answers provided by candidates during the exam to be at variance with the questions. This eventually led to the recorded mass failure,” the security source said. 

    The entire hacking process was to influence high scores for special candidates who paid between ₦700, 000 and N2m, it was gathered. 

    The source also disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that several members of the syndicate own private schools and colleges, and make huge sums of money from their special centres. 

    They fear that fully integrating WAEC/NECO for CBT type of examinations will ruin their illegal business, it was learnt.  

    The source however added that, as at Friday evening, “no case of complicity had been established against the seven JAMB staff who supervised the Service Providers at the two locations.”

  • Southeast Reps Caucus demands outright cancellation of 2025 UTME

    Southeast Reps Caucus demands outright cancellation of 2025 UTME

    The Southeast Caucus in the House of Representatives has called for the outright cancellation of this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination (UTME) over the technical glitches that affected some students during the examination.

    The caucus also called for the resignation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, for what it called a “catastrophic institutional failure” in the conduct of the examination.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja by its Leader, Igariwey Iduma Enwo, the caucus said: “Last week, particularly on May 14, 2025, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, made a shocking public admission that due to a ‘technical glitch’ at some examination centres during the 2025 UTME, approximately 379,997 out of 1.9 million candidates would be required to retake the examination.

    “As a caucus, we are deeply concerned as all five Southeastern states we represent were directly affected by these so-called ‘score distortions.’

    “Over the past week, we have exercised restraint, hoping that JAMB would provide effective remedial measures to address what is clearly a catastrophic institutional failure, one that has severely shaken public trust and the confidence of students and their families nationwide.

    “The caucus calls for immediate cancellation of the 2025 UTME and the fixing of a new date, preferably after WAEC and NECO examinations, to ensure that no student is disadvantaged.”

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    The caucus also demanded “the suspension of key officials responsible for JAMB’s digital operations and logistics”.

    Acknowledging Oloyede’s public admission of the failure, the lawmakers said accountability must go beyond apologies, adding that his resignation would allow for a thorough, independent review of the failure and restore public confidence in the examination body.

    The Southeast Reps caucus reminded JAMB of its constitutional duty to guarantee equal and adequate educational opportunities for all Nigerian children, a responsibility it said had clearly been violated in this instance.

    The caucus added: “While we acknowledge Prof. Oloyede’s openness in admitting JAMB’s failures, we must state unequivocally that the remedial steps taken so far fall drastically short of our constituents’ expectations.

    “JAMB’s knee-jerk, fire-brigade approach has been anything but adequate. Students in the Southeast — many of whom are currently writing their WAEC examinations — were given less than 48 hours’ notice to appear for the rescheduled UTME.

    “Reports indicate that this notice was grossly inadequate, resulting in low turnout. In some cases, the rescheduled UTME clashed directly with ongoing WAEC papers, compounding the distress and confusion for students and their families.

    “We must remind Nigerians that JAMB, as a government agency, is duty-bound to uphold the fundamental obligations of government to its citizens. The framers of our Constitution recognised the central role of education in national development.”

     Section 18(1) of the 1999 Constitution clearly states: ‘Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels.’

    “By recent judicial pronouncements, this provision now constitutes an enforceable right for every Nigerian child. Sadly, for the thousands of students across the Southeast, the flawed and tainted conduct of the 2025 UTME has effectively denied them that right to equal and adequate educational opportunities.”

  • 2025 UTME: Software glitch, not Oloyede, to blame for poor performance — Ilaro Poly Rector

    2025 UTME: Software glitch, not Oloyede, to blame for poor performance — Ilaro Poly Rector

    The Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Dr. Mukail Akinde, has attributed the low performance of candidates in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to software malfunctions, not the fault of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede.

    Speaking with reporters in his office over the weekend, Akinde emphasised that no human-made technology is flawless. 

    He urged Nigerians to acknowledge the inevitability of Computer-Based Tests (CBT), noting that such systems are susceptible to occasional technical issues.

    The rector commended Professor Oloyede’s efforts to improve Nigeria’s education system and eliminate long-standing examination malpractices.

    He added that while the percentage of candidates scoring between 160 and 199 (50.29%) might appear high, it is not unusual and should be viewed in context.

    According to Akinde, the overall conduct of UTME has seen significant improvement under the current JAMB leadership.

    “The performance of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over years before Prof Oloyede from 2018 to 2024 on the average, of candidates who scored between 139 to 119 was 78.3%.

    “For us in academics, we talk with statistics, this year’s result is not a failure, it was a good result.

    “Now about technology, there is no fully satisfied technology in the whole world. You are talking about an automated centre, software can malfunction at any time without human intervention.

    “You will recall that when Professor Oloyede came in as the Executive Registrar of JAMB, his intervention has been to redirect JAMB in ensuring that candidates are exposed to modern technology, not only that, the examination body which was at the verge of been scrapped due to its level of ridiculous irregularity has become something that is not common again.

    “Moreso, the Registrar, Professor Oloyede has taken full responsibility, for the first time, I am seeing in this country that we have a leader, even though the glitches were minor, he has taken responsibility unlike leaders in Africa who were known for shifting blame.

    “Not only that, he has given such candidates the opportunity to rewrite the examination.

    “Before this incident, I am aware Nigerians were all proud of Professor Ishaq Oloyede because he was able to reposition JAMB to be an Institution that is one of the best in Nigeria, so, now that the so-called glitch occurs, it is naivety on the part of some people to call for his sanction.

    “For us at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, considering the cumulative performance of the Registrar, yes it’s painful that some candidates were affected, the good news is that Professor Ishaq Oloyede has also given the opportunity to this set of candidates to rewrite the examination.”

     Dr. Akinde, however, dismissed claims that the poor performance of many candidates in the 2025 UTME was due to unfamiliarity with computer operations. 

    He argued that such claims hold little merit, noting that candidates were adequately prepared through mock examinations and that detailed instructions were displayed on their computer screens during the test.

    “There were no ambiguities,” Dr. Akinde stated. “Candidates were given step-by-step guidelines, and they had no choice but to read and understand them before attempting the questions.”

    Corroborating this, Mr. Ismail Odeyemi, who oversaw the CBT centre at the Polytechnic, explained that the examination interface was designed to be user-friendly. 

    He said candidates were prompted multiple times before final submission, and trained supervisors were on hand to assist anyone facing technical difficulties.

    “JAMB has simplified the process. Each candidate had access to a keyboard and mouse. When an option is selected, the corresponding alphabet changes colour from red to green—it’s self-explanatory,” Odeyemi said. “In addition, rough answer sheets were provided with clearly written instructions.”

    Frank Ajibodu, the institution’s technical officer, added that JAMB mandated a five-minute orientation at the start of each session, during which supervisors guided candidates on how to navigate the interface, select answers, and submit their responses.

    He attributed some of the challenges to exam anxiety, commonly known as “examiphobia”, a condition that, he said, predates the CBT era and also existed during the traditional paper-and-pencil method.

    Concluding, Dr. Akinde urged parents to take a more active role in supervising their children’s study habits. 

    He advised against secondary school students owning mobile phones, stressing that time spent on devices should instead be dedicated to academic preparation.

  • 94-year-old man registers for 2025 UTME to study political science in UI

    94-year-old man registers for 2025 UTME to study political science in UI

    A 94-year-old man, Adedapo Idowu, has registered for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with the aim of fulfilling his long-standing aspiration of studying Political Science at the University of Ibadan.

    Idowu, who registered at the JAMB Professional Test Center in Ibadan, Oyo State, expressed his excitement about the smooth registration process.

    The 2025 UTME registration started on January 31.

    Last week, JAMB revealed that over 700,000 candidates have registered, including 11,000 underage applicants.

    Idowu shared that his initial fears about pursuing higher education at his age were dispelled after his seamless registration experience.

    He commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for the efficient use of technology, such as integrating his National Identity Number (NIN), which simplified data collection and ensured a user-friendly process.

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    His story was featured in the latest bulletin of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

    “I can now attain my dream at an advanced age.

    “The registration staff gave me a sense of belonging through the warm reception at the registration venue” he noted.

    He also advised other candidates to embrace professionalism and contentment in their academic journey.

    The nonagenarian encouraged the Board to maintain this positive trajectory to continue ensuring access to education for all, particularly the elderly, the underprivileged, and those with disabilities.

  • JAMB: Gifted kids below 16 will be allowed to take 2025 UTME

    JAMB: Gifted kids below 16 will be allowed to take 2025 UTME

    Exceptionally gifted children who are below 16 years will be allowed to take the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, its Registrar, Prof Is-haq Oloyede has said.

    The Registrar however said the board would identify the few gifted students and allow them to take the exam.

    Such candidate, the registrar said, must score at least 80 percent in UTME, the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), Post-UTME, or the General Certificate Examination (GCE), O/level.

    Oloyede disclosed this at a meeting with critical stakeholders comprising Chief External Examiners (CEEs), Chief Technical Advisors (CTAs) and Equal Opportunity Group (EOG). Other stakeholders included Virtues Vanguard, Peace Monitors, High-Power Opinion Leaders, Civil Society and Mass Media, General Monitors, Roving Group, and the Bwari Call Centre.

    In a bulletin issued on Monday by the Public Communication Advisor to JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, Oloyede said the board would enforce the minimum entry age requirement into tertiary institutions.

    “This is, however, with a proviso that exceptional candidates may enjoy waivers even if they are below 16 years provided they score 80% in the four examinations stated in our advertisement,” the bulletin said.

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    According to the bulletin, the meeting with the stakeholders was to prepare for the 2025 UTME registration exercise, review past performances, and discuss issues regarding the upcoming 2025 UTME.

    The registrar pointed out that the national minimum admissible age was 16, as such, any candidates below 16 years by September 2025, would not be considered for admission.

    Oloyede said: “This is about complying with the law, age has a lot to do with maturity in terms of what you do. Age can’t be discarded. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be prescribing that before you can become a Local Government Chairman, you must have attained a certain age or even a child of 5 or 10 years could aspire to that office.

    “Biological age has a lot to do with the development of the intelligence. There are so many things that have been said, but there are exceptions to the rule, and you must allow for such exceptions.

    “The Honourable Minister of Education mentioned clearly when he assumed office that the minimum age for admission would be sixteen, but we are also aware that there are gifted children and they are few. These gifted children can’t be dismissed like that. We will have to identify them and allow them to take the exam.

    “Now, the question is about identifying them. There are so many criteria we’ll look at if you’re under sixteen and you’re exceptional. First, your records should show that you’re exceptional. If you take UTME, for instance, and you score 200 out of 400, how do you call yourself an exceptional candidate, but if you score 80%, that is giving us a signal that ‘Oh, this person is exceptional.”

    The Registrar also lamented that private universities encourage underage admission and, in most cases, 80 percent of their intakes end up being migrated to other programs owing to poor standing.

    He further noted that the Board is not unaware of these sharp practices that parents perpetrate to alter the age of their wards for admission and on graduation, they apply for a reduction of that same age to enable their wards to undergo the one-year mandatory service of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    Meanwhile, the Board has said it would continue to make the UTME forms free for candidates with disabilities who possess five O’level credits.

    While assessing the impact of the scheme, the Board noted that the free UTME application forms regime started last year, and has, not only cushioned the financial burden on this category of candidates but has also greatly improved their access to tertiary education.

    To operationalise the scheme, the Board said it charged the JAMB-Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG), in conjunction with the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), to work out the necessary modalities for its smooth implementation.

    “To forestall the incidence of impersonators, the Board has directed that candidates with disabilities would buy their application documents as other candidates and on the day of examination, after their verification and authentication, such candidate would be refunded their application fees,” the bulletin said.

    The board assured candidates with disabilities that it would continue to do everything possible within allowable limits to advance their cause.

    In a related development, JAM has said candidates with biometric challenges can only register at its national headquarters, Abuja.

    According to the Board, candidates, who experience issues with their fingerprints or facial recognition scans during their registration or verification process, especially during the UTME where biometric identification is mandatory, can only be registered at the Board’s national headquarters, Abuja.

    “It is to be noted that no candidate will be allowed to enter the examination hall or have his examination processed if his biometrics are not verified.

    “Hence, candidates with biometrics abnormalities will not only register but also take their examination at the Board’s National Headquarters, Abuja, on the last day of the national examination calendar with JAMB facilitating their travels,” JAMB added.