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2025 UTME: Five smart alternatives to succeed if you scored low marks in JAMB

The 2025 JAMB results have sent shockwaves across Nigeria, leaving many students disheartened by surprisingly low scores blamed on “technical glitches.”

While the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has offered a chance to retake the exam, not everyone is eager to relive the experience.

Across the country, countless Nigerians have either overcome JAMB setbacks or skipped university altogether and still built remarkable careers. From tech innovators to thriving entrepreneurs, they’ve proven that academic scores aren’t the sole ticket to success.

If your JAMB result didn’t go as planned, here are five powerful alternative paths to help you build a future filled with purpose, achievement, and financial freedom, no matter your score:

1. Pick up a lucrative skill: Degrees aren’t the only ticket to success. Nigeria’s economy rewards practical skills, and you can start earning while others are still in lecture halls.

– Tech: Learn coding (Python, web development), app creation, or data analysis via Decagon, Udemy, or free platforms like W3Schools.

– Creative: Master photography, content creation, or social media marketing with YouTube tutorials or Coursera courses.

– Vocational: Try tailoring, event planning, or culinary arts through local hubs like Lagos State Skill Acquisition Centres.

2. Enrol in a Polytechnic or College of Education: Universities get all the hype, but polytechnics also offer hands-on training in fields like engineering, media, or IT. These programs often have easier entry requirements and equip you with skills employers’ value.

3. Kickstart a business: You don’t need a degree to build wealth, start small and grow big with:

– Online Sales: Sell fashion, electronics, or skincare on Instagram or WhatsApp.

– Agriculture: Venture into snail farming, vegetable cultivation, or poultry with support from the Bank of Agriculture or GroVentures.

Read Also: JAMB to conduct fresh exam for candidates who missed last UTME

– Services: Launch a barbing salon, home cleaning, or logistics business in cities like Port Harcourt or Ibadan.

4. Take a year to reset: A gap year isn’t giving up, it’s strategising. Use it to:

Work part-time in shops, cafes, or as a tutor to save money. Volunteer with NGOs to gain experience and connections. Prep for JAMB with tools like JAMB CBT Practice or local coaching centres. This break can help you discover your strengths and come back stronger.

5. Go for online or overseas education: The world of learning is wide open. Online platforms like edX, Alison, or UNICAF offer certificates and degrees at low costs. Google’s Grow with Google has free courses in digital skills.

Some Nigerian private universities accept direct entry without JAMB. If you can afford it, schools in Benin Republic or Canada offer JAMB-free admission.

May 22, 2025
JAMB to conduct fresh exam for candidates who missed last UTME

…reacts to teen’s tragic death over low UTME score

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will conduct an additional mop-up examination for candidates who missed their Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Board revealed that an estimated 5.6% of candidates missed their exams, and in order to accommodate them, it will organise a special mop-up exercise, extending the opportunity to all affected candidates, regardless of the reason for their absence.

JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, stated this in Abuja on Wednesday, while speaking to journalists during a meeting with key stakeholders to address challenges encountered during the 2025 UTME.

Oloyede, who acknowledged the emotional strain experienced while announcing the UTME results, said it was not indicative of institutional weakness.

He also shrugged off calls for his resignation, following glitches that marred the UTME and his acceptance of responsibility.

The development comes a day after the South-East Caucus of the House of Representatives called for the resignation of the JAMB Registrar over the controversy that marred the exercise.

He maintained that JAMB remains committed to resolving issues affecting the examination process and rejected any suggestion that administrative failures were due to incompetence or ethnic bias.

Oloyede said, “I want to say this clearly, particularly because I accepted responsibility, not because I do not know how to do the work. People who work with me have testified to the fact that I do not care where you come from. Until this incident happened, I didn’t know that I was surrounded by many issues, because I didn’t look at them as issues; I looked at them as my friends.

“But when things started happening and people are saying, ‘Which one are you?’, which is unfortunate because you need not look at where you come from. But I never knew, because I knew him as a human being who was performing his services. So please, let us not descend to the level of those people who are out there.

“I say it for the fourth time that no conspiracy theory is relevant to this case. There is nothing to say north, south, or that you buy more outside. Something happened like people who have been doing something well for years, and something just went wrong. I did not throw them under the bus. No.”

He further urged stakeholders to stop ethnic profiling in education and criticised those who exploit difficulties to promote ethnic or conspiracy-driven narratives.

Oloyede asserted that many criticisms of JAMB’s operations are rooted in ignorance.

The Registrar commended his team’s efforts and stressed that JAMB does not discriminate based on background or ethnicity.

Read Also: The 2025 JAMB technical glitch

Oloyede also expressed appreciation for the resilience shown by candidates, many of whom continued their exams despite various challenges.

“It was not easy at all to be able to bring such things and say, look, I will sit there and then enjoy. We were doing that because at that time, the only space we had was the space that had a big science practical on Friday. And we felt that we could move in and get it. We couldn’t get that type of space for another two months, and we would have permanently deprived the students of their chance in life.

“So we knew that if we continued to mourn and groan about what had happened and allowed that space to escape, we might not recover it. I told the students, just like Griffith said, because you had over about 95% attendance across all sessions, that’s a very reasonable attendance.

“We are also deciding that all those who missed that examination, whatever the reason, the 5.6% or 6% that missed it, we will not only mop up. Normally, we hold one mop-up nationwide for those with one issue or another. This time, we are creating a new mop-up. Even those who missed the earlier exam due to absence will be given this opportunity to.

“It’s not that we are doing something extraordinary. In class, you make up an examination when students miss it for one reason or the other. We just don’t allow abuse of that. So we will allow all the candidates who missed the main exam for any reason to take part in this mop-up.”

Oloyede also criticised public commentators who misunderstand or misrepresent the role of the UTME.

He clarified that the UTME is a placement test, not an achievement test. Its purpose is to rank candidates for available spaces in institutions, not to measure intelligence or overall academic potential.

He emphasised that high UTME scores were not the sole determinant of admission, noting that combined performance, including post-UTME scores and school assessments, can significantly affect a candidate’s ranking.

This is even as the examination body has reacted to the tragic news of a 19-year-old candidate, Opesusi Timilehin, who took her own life due to disappointment over her low scores in the just concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Prof Oloyede also expressed sadness at the unfortunate news.

Oloyede, who called for a moment of silence to honour the 19-year-old deceased candidate, expressed concerns that some parents/guardians faked the deaths of their children/wards to gain public sympathy.

He said, “The unfortunate case of a lady who was said to have committed suicide was painful for any normal parent. As chief executive of JAMB, I don’t really care where any of our staff come from; all I know is that they have been doing their jobs for years.

“The emotional breakdown on my part was not a sign of weakness, nor was it an excuse to abdicate our responsibilities. Let us not descend to a level where some people begin to pontificate because some people want to take advantage of the situation on the ground.”

Oloyede expressed concerns that some parents/guardians faked the deaths of their children/wards to gain public sympathy.

He stated, “On the day of the press conference, I was under intense pressure. Unknown to many of you, I thought many people had committed suicide. One is bad enough. But the text message I received, one of them who said my daughter committed suicide this morning because of this, called me in the night that she was looking for money. I was under intense pressure, given the false impression that so many things are happening to these innocent children.”

May 21, 2025
10 pupils; FAAC; CBT; Youth ‘JAMB-ed’

Sadly, 10 brilliant pupils died in an accident on their way from Kano to Lagos by road, for a simple national assignment, a quiz. Do not dare take this as just another road statistic. Think prayerfully of their distraught brothers and sisters today – their roommates and playmates since birth. Who was responsible for that accident? The culprits in this case should pay the criminal negligence price.

Of course, no method of transport is completely safe, even flying. We sadly remember the 2005 SOSOLISO Oct 22nd crash claiming more than 60 mourned children. May God comfort their families. But do drivers drive children and youth with any greater sense of responsibility than they drive the rest of us? Definitely not! Across Nigeria too many youths are born to die uneducated, unsung and unmourned in preventable deprivation, disease, accidents and even by terrorism.

We must juxtapose the FAAC ALLOCATIONS TO THE URGENT NEEDS OF OUR YOUTH IN AND OUT OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM vis-a-vis the youth just JAMB-ed at their point of hopeful ‘exam success’ and the 12-18m youth reported as being out-of-school Youth, too many as IDPs.

Each member of NASS ridiculously pays himself or herself N1,000,000,000, yes N1billion for HOR and yes N2b for Senators as annual Constitutional Allowance – a completely irresponsible Allowance.

There have been many faults and glitches in the JAMB system, now apologetically admitted with tears, or in the past when they were so often arrogantly sidetracked, ignored, or swept under the carpet. Those faults and glitches left good students sadly confused, unable to explain their poor certified performance against their known academic prowess. But who would believe ‘disgruntled, disrespectful’ students and their very poor or sometimes wealthy parents – it is not cheap in time or money to ‘challenge’ WAEC, or NECO or JAMB. Also, since the examination body is also the arbitrator in an appeal for a remark or dispute, there has never been a guarantee of a fair review.

Granted, in fairness to the examination bodies, we have several cases of successful protest and remarking. But it can take a very emotional traumatising 6-12 months of a student’s life with no guarantee of success. But are there any annually published statistics by the exam bodies or by EXAMINATION WATCHDOG BODIES of ‘REMARKED EXAM SUBJECTS STATISTICS’?

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This is why the government must make the bold decision that there should be an office of an EDUCATION EXAM OMBUDSPERSON OR PANEL, PERHAPS STATE-BASED if the workload will be too much for one person and a team. The leader should be a distinguished, seasoned, respected principal, maybe retired principal, changed every 1 or 2 years to handle the emotionally exhausting and delicate cases of exam protests for that period only. The person must work harmoniously with examination bodies to eliminate the unimaginable pain and trauma, and indeed sometimes successful suicide resulting from ‘MISDIAGNOSIS’ OF EDUCATION FAILURE AND SUCCESS. The exam bodies must be like Caesar’s wife – impeccable.

Remember the unimaginable horrible situation of the too many unknown brilliant and ‘lucky on the day’ Nigerian students who have been wrongly condemned to being called ‘WAEC, NECO or JAMB CHEATERS’ and DENIED THEIR PLACE IN UNIVERSITY or worse just because WAEC, NECO and probably JAMB REJECTED THEIR ‘TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE’ BRILLIANT SCORES on the grounds that the results were too good to be true? But without interrogation, interview or follow up.

Imagine the impact on the youth involved, the other children in the home, the family and relations and friends and classmates and entire school when they hear that their most brilliant emblem has become a common cheater, according to INFALLIBLE WAEC, NECO or JAMB? Years ago, we called for a THOROUGH PANEL ENQUIRY, INCLUDING AN INTERVIEW WITH EACH AND EVERY SUCH CANDIDATE and Principal and a thorough examination of all the circumstances before a cancellation or downgrading could take place. Is that the case now?

These bodies make more than enough money to execute such an ‘EXAM RESULT VERIFICATION ENQUIRY.’ Indeed, there may be a need to reduce the exam fees as the organisation can raise up to N22b and return N7b to the government. That should reduce the fees by 25%. Some suggest that the extra N7b could create the necessary Computer Based Training, which is not just a skill required for sitting JAMB. CBT is the 21st century youth right and the responsibility of LGA, State and Federal governments to introduce usable CBT, using solar panels preferably, to every school.

Figures vary, but one estimate reports 23,550 secondary schools of which approximately 10,000 are public schools i.e. N700,000/school. Let us add FAAC allocation and Constituency Projects by NASS, and probably State Assembly, and who knows if LGA councillors silently receive Constituency Allowances, off the books. All must spend such funds honestly and wisely and face youth education as a powerful weapon against poverty. They should note that if neglected, that same education will become a powerful weapon against progress, threatening all of us in our day-to-day life, and especially during our movements on our neighbourhood streets where the masses of obviously poor and abandoned youth are well versed in begging or providing menial services to obtain daily bread.

The fact remains that our youth across the country remain at a severe disadvantage, almost uniformly in public schools, and partly even in private schools. Fund the education deficit, please.

•(To be continued)

May 21, 2025
The 2025 JAMB technical glitch

It was as if that was what detractors had been waiting for—the server glitch that affected the results of a small fraction of the 2025 UTME candidates, specifically in CBT centres in Lagos and Southeast states. The detractors included ethnic jingoists, cheaters, unreflective critics, and university autonomy advocates.

The criticisms came pouring in as soon as the results were released, showing a high failure rate in which nearly 78 percent of the candidates scored below the 50 percentile mark of 200 out of a total of 400 possible marks. It must be JAMB’s fault, they proclaimed. No one wanted to admit that JAMB had succeeded in cutting down on exam malpractices, by setting up CCTV cameras in CBT centres, by establishing various malpractice detection methods, and, above all, by eliminating so-called Miracle Centres, where standard exam protocols were suspended for a fee.

Moreover, critics overlooked the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on educational outcome: The majority of the UTME candidates this year were the high school students in JSS1 in September 2019, who missed school for two or more years because of the pandemic. The rough patches of their foundation years in secondary school could not but take a toll on their performance down the line.

The fierce debate over performance led to the revelation of a computer glitch, which affected about 380,000 out of a total of 1,955,069 candidates, who sat for the examinations. 206,610 of the affected candidates wrote their exams in Lagos, while the remaining 173,397 wrote theirs across the five states of the Southeast. At the height of the outcry against mediocre performance, JAMB Registrar, Professor Is’ahq Oloyede, quickly advanced JAMB’s usual post-test review, detected the error, and summoned a press conference to reveal the findings. In the process. Oloyede took responsibility, apologised, and even chocked on the apology. Besides, he offered immediate remedies, including the retake of the exams by the affected candidates.

Regrettably, some critics still lost their bearing completely. Some professors, legislators, and armchair pundits from the Southeast ethnicised the problem, by claiming that the Yoruba Registrar, was motivated by ethnic considerations. A Professor specifically claimed that the Igbo in the Southeast and Lagos were the target of his mischief.

A respected columnist ignored Oloyede’s apology, by claiming that Oloyede had put the blame on God. The columnist merely parsed the title of JAMB’s post on X, which reads “Man proposes, God disposes.” It was an unfortunate heading because it is subject to variable interpretations. The said columnist opted for the literal meaning. However, as an English proverb, it basically means that even the best-laid plans can fail.

Read Also: EFCC hands over 753 housing units seized from ex-CBN Gov to ministry

In this particular case, Oloyede went to great lengths in explaining how human error, not God, caused the glitch: “A major operational flaw was uncovered during the implementation phase (of changes introduced to promote system efficiency). The system patch necessary to support both shuffling and source-based validation … was not applied to the LAG (Lagos) cluster, which services centres in Lagos and the South-East … As a result, 157 centres operated using outdated server logic that could not appropriately handle the new answer submission/marking structure. This affected an estimated 379,997 candidates.”

Ethnic sympathisers are not the only ones who ignored Oloyede’s explanations. There are also university autonomy advocates, who argued that JAMB should be scrapped to give way for the University Senate to conduct admission examinations through their admissions offices and admit students who meet their criteria. Their central argument is that universities are stifled by the Big-Brother role of JAMB on admissions and the NUC on curriculum, admissions quota, and even teaching qualifications.

I chorused such arguments until my post-retirement stint as Program Director or member of Governing Councils in some universities. The level of decadence I observed is unprintable. Suffice it to say that the level of corruption and the erosion of values I noticed within the universities led me to wonder what would happen to higher education in the country, without the oversight functions of the NUC and JAMB. Rather than scrap either or both, the focus should be on further streamlining their functions in order to enhance the role of University Senates and their respective admission offices. Moreover, membership of University Governing Councils should be less politicised so that their members could exercise effective control over the University Management.

Operators of Miracle Centers also jumped on the bandwagon of JAMB critics. The JAMB computer glitch offered a golden opportunity for criticising the institution that has all but eliminated their source of income. It was once reported that Miracle Centers charged as high as N200,00 per candidate for the UTME. Incidentally, those Miracle Centres were said to be rampant in the Southeast at the time when some states there produced among JAMB highest scorers.

Ardent critics of JAMB also included some parents, especially those who patronised Miracle Centres, bribed invigilators, employed exam takers, or besieged admission offices on behalf of their children. To be sure, some of them had genuine complaints this time around, but many joined the bandwagon of critics for selfish reasons.

The real problem is that this year’s JAMB computer glitch may have sowed the seed of distrust that may erode confidence in JAMB’s work as in other government institutions. Nevertheless, those who may be thinking along such lines should pause to reflect on two major developments. First, it should be recalled that Oloyede brought significant technological improvements to JAMB’s operations, expanded its physical infrastructure, and imbued the organisation with uncommon culture of transparency, accountability, and effective service delivery. Above all, under his leadership, JAMB had remitted nearly N60 billion to federal government coffers as against a paltry N55 million in the 40 years before Oleyede came on board.

The second development has to do with computer technology. Who among us has not experienced a glitch or two on our computer, printer, tablet, or phone? Hasn’t your phone or an App frozen on you before? If a glitch could occur on an individual’s mobile phone, imagine the ripple effects of a glitch on a network of computers on a large scale.

Such was the case with this year’s SAT exam, taken across the globe. On March 8, 2025, a glitch in the Blue-book App used to keep time, among other services, caused the digital SAT to automatically submit tests early. An incorrect setting in the software caused the glitch, leading to the submission of tests at 11:00am local time, regardless of whether students had finished. The error made its way across the globe. The College Board, which administers the exams, responded promptly, by offering students a full refund and a voucher to retake the exam in as early as two weeks.

A similar fiasco befell Chinese students in 2023, when their computer screen abruptly froze on them while taking the Advanced Placement examinations. On detecting the error, the authorities organised a makeup exam for those affected by the glitch.

In both cases, no one politicised the error and no one asked for anyone’s head. Everyone understood that computer glitches could occur anywhere and at anytime. Oloyede’s JAMB acted in line with international best practices. He should be commended, rather than condemned.

May 21, 2025
JAMB releases UTME re-sit results for 379,000 candidates Wednesday

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will on Wednesday, May 20 release the results of 379,000 candidates who sat for the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The resit was conducted between Friday and Monday following widespread complaints of technical and human errors during the initial UTME exam.

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede disclosed that 379,997 candidates were affected—206,610 across 65 centres in Lagos and 173,387 in 92 centres in the South-East.

Read Also: JAMB: Seven courses with highest cut-off marks in 2025 UTME

JAMB said the glitches necessitated rescheduling the exam, acknowledging lapses in its system.

The board’s Registrar Oloyede, publicly accepted responsibility and even broke down in tears while announcing a makeup exam for the affected candidates.

Out of the 1,955,069 candidates who took the original UTME, more than 1.5 million scored below 200 marks out of a possible 400, fueling concern over the fairness and credibility of the exam.

JAMB spokesperson Dr. Fabian Benjamin confirmed the re-sit results would be released on Wednesday.

“The results of the candidates who took the rescheduled exam will be released on Wednesday” Benjamin said.

May 20, 2025
JAMB: Seven courses with highest cut-off marks in 2025 UTME

As the competition for admission into Nigerian universities intensifies, some courses continue to stand out for their consistently high cut-off marks in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

In 2025, several programmes remain highly sought-after, attracting thousands of top-performing candidates. These courses demand not just strong UTME scores but also excellent O’level results.

Here are seven of the most competitive courses in Nigeria for 2025, along with their expected cut-off marks and subject requirements.

1. Medicine and Surgery:

Medicine and Surgery is always the most competitive course in Nigeria because many students’ dream is to become doctors. Because of the quest for the course, it has limited slots in many tertiary institutions, if not all; hence, it comes with strict quotas.

Students who applied for medicine and surgery are expected to score 280 and above in their UTME and have five credits in their WASSCE or GCE in subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

2. Law:

Law is another highly competitive course in Nigeria. Many students aspire to become lawyers in the country because of the respect, career opportunities and social status that come with it.

3. Pharmacy:

Pharmacy is a highly respected course in Nigeria because of the job opportunities, and financial rewards. Graduates of the course can work in any healthcare organisation and it has job security.

Read Also: 15 UTME applicants declared missing found, reunite with families

To secure admission, students are expected to score 270 and above in their UTME; and must have at least five credits in subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry.

4. Nursing Science:

Nursing Science is one of the fastest-growing professions in Nigeria. Nursing as a career has global job opportunities, and financial rewards cum stability.

Students applying for nursing science are expected to score 260 and above in their UTME. Besides, they must have five credits in subjects such as English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics.

5. Accounting:

Accounting remains one of the most sought-after courses in Nigeria because of its job opportunities, career flexibility, and professional certifications such as ICAN.

Students are expected to score 250 and above in their UTME to be considered for admission. In addition, they must have five credits in subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Economics, Financial Accounting and any other subjects.

6. Computer Science:

With the surge in technology boom, Computer Science has become one of the most in-demand courses in Nigeria.

To qualify for admission, students are expected to score 250 and above in their UTME, besides, they must have five credits in subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Studies, and any other subjects.

7. Economics:

Economics is one of the most competitive courses in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions because of its relevance to society, and the job opportunities that come with studying the course.

Students applying for Economics are expected to score 250 and above in UTME to dream of gaining admission. Moreover, they must have at least five credits in subjects such as English Language, Mathematics, Economics, Government, Commerce and/or any other subject.

May 19, 2025
FULL LIST: Nigeria’s varsities that accept 140, 150, 160 JAMB scores

Following the low pass rate recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), many students across the country have been left anxious and uncertain about their next steps. The disappointing results have sparked widespread concern, especially among candidates who had high hopes of gaining admission into top-tier institutions. With cut-off marks likely to be affected and competition for available slots even tighter, students are now reassessing their options and exploring alternative institutions and courses they might not have initially considered.

As the admission season approaches, questions about school choices, catchment areas, and departmental requirements have become top of mind for students and parents alike. Many are turning to educational consultants, online forums, and career guidance counselors in search of reliable advice. For some, the focus has shifted from prestigious universities to more accessible polytechnics and colleges of education, while others are considering taking a gap year to prepare for the next UTME cycle. The uncertainty has created a sense of urgency, as students scramble to secure a spot in any institution that matches their scores and career aspirations.

Here are universities that accept JAMB scores as low as 140:

Universities Accepting 160 JAMB score and above

1.      Abia State University

2.      Achievers University

3.      Akwa Ibom State University

4.      Al-Qalam University

5.      American University of Nigeria

6.      Augustine University

7.      Babcock University

8.      Bowen University

9.      Covenant University

10.  Edo University

11.  Igbinedion University

12.  Joseph Ayo Babalola University

13.  Madonna University

14.  Nile University of Nigeria

15.  Oduduwa University

16.  Pan-Atlantic University

17.  Paul University

18.  Redeemer’s University

19.  Renaissance University

20.  Rhema University

21.  Samuel Adegboyega University

22.  Skyline University Nigeria

23.  Summit University

24.  Tansian University

25.  University of Mkar

26.  Veritas University

27.  Wellspring University

Universities accepting 150 JAMB score and above

1.      Adamawa State University

2.      Ajayi Crowther University

3.      Al-Hikmah University

4.      Benson Idahosa University

5.      Bingham University

6.      Caritas University

7.      Chrisland University

8.      Crawford University

9.      Hallmark University

10.  Mountain Top University

11.  Novena University

12.  Nigerian Turkish Nile University

13.  Precious Cornerstone University

Read Also: Glitches: Kalu urges JAMB to conduct independent audit of UTME system

14.  Renaissance University

15.  Rhema University

16.  Salem University

17.  Southwestern University

18.  Tansian University

19.  University of Mkar

20.  Veritas University

21.  Wellspring University

Universities Accepting 140 JAMB score and above

1.      Admiralty University of Nigeria

2.      African University of Science and Technology

3.      Baze University

4.      Chrisland University

5.      Delta State University

6.      Federal University, Dutse

7.      Federal University, Dutsin-Ma

8.      Federal University, Gashua

9.      Federal University, Gusau

10.  Federal University, Kasere

11.  Federal University, Otuoke

12.  Gombe State University

13.  Lead City University

14.  Modibbo Adama University of Technology

15.  Nile University of Nigeria

16.  Northwest University

17.  Obong University

18.  Oduduwa University

19.  PAMO University of Medical Sciences

20.  Renaissance University

21.  Rhema University

22.  Ritman University

23.  Samuel Adegboyega University

24.  Skyline University Nigeria

25.  Summit University

26.  University of Africa

27.  University of Mkar

28.  Veritas University

29.  Wellspring University

30. Clifford University

May 19, 2025
Glitches: Kalu urges JAMB to conduct independent audit of UTME system
- …decries hurried rescheduling of exams
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has called on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to undertake a comprehensive, independent audit of its examination infrastructure to address recent technical glitches experienced during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Speaking to journalists, Kalu criticised the hurried rescheduling of the resit exams, particularly as they coincided with the ongoing 2025 Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), forcing some students to travel long distances to sit for the tests.

He urged JAMB to engage external professionals, including system engineers and academic measurement experts, to thoroughly examine its Computer-Based Test (CBT) systems, question delivery mechanisms, answer validation processes, and result collation methods.

Kalu further recommended that JAMB should immediately review technical and independent reports from third-party educational technology firms that have collected candidate-level data. This, he said, would help fully understand the extent and impact of the challenges encountered.

“Only by comparing its internal reviews with independent findings can JAMB guarantee that no affected candidate is left behind,” he stated.

Read Also: JAMB Registrar Oloyede, lauded for transparency over 2025 UTME glitches

The Deputy Speaker also called for special attention to candidates from the South-East and Lagos, who he noted were disproportionately affected by the disruptions, urging the board to ensure they are not further disadvantaged.

He said, “JAMB must provide a clear, accessible mechanism for remark and appeal, especially for those dissatisfied with the hurried resit or who experienced technical difficulties during the second sitting.

“Furthermore, coordination with WAEC and other examination bodies must continue to ensure that no candidate’s academic progression is impeded by scheduling conflicts.

“JAMB should proactively publish anonymised, candidate-level result data for independent verification and open its systems to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests as a gesture of transparency and accountability. This will go a long way in rebuilding public trust.

“Going forward, JAMB must implement stronger deployment validation protocols and real-time monitoring mechanisms to prevent recurrence. Every system update must be thoroughly tested and confirmed across all server clusters before deployment during high-stakes examinations

“To the affected candidates, your frustration is valid, and your voices have been heard. The integrity of our national examinations must never be compromised by technical lapses or human error.

“As Deputy Speaker, I assure you that the National Assembly stands ready to provide oversight and ensure that these reforms are not only promised but delivered. Let us turn this painful episode into a catalyst for lasting improvement.

“Our young people deserve a system that is not only fair, but resilient, transparent, and worthy of their trust”, adding that JAMB must strive even when you stumble; transparency and honesty build trust, and trust propels us forward.”

He commended the candour, touching humility, and accountability demonstrated by the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, and his team in admitting to the technical errors that affected nearly 380,000 candidates across the South-East Geopolitical Zone and Lagos. The swift apology and the decision to offer retake opportunities for all affected candidates reflect a commitment to fairness and justice.

“However, we must recognise that these measures, while necessary, do not erase the trauma, disruption, and uncertainty experienced by our young people and their families. Nigeria unfortunately lost a UTME candidate to suicide, consequentially triggered by the ensuing results of this technical glitch. Our heart goes out to the loved ones of this brave young one.”

Kalu said further, “The technical review results available to me have revealed that a critical system patch essential for the new shuffling and validation protocols was not deployed to the server clusters servicing 157 centres in the South-East and Lagos.

“One of the most critical discoveries made revolved around three major systemic changes introduced in the 2025 UTME. The first was a shift from the traditional count-based analysis to a more robust source-based analysis of results.

“In previous years, JAMB evaluated the integrity of examination sessions primarily by counting the number of responses submitted per session. If the majority of candidates in a session of 250 submitted a near-complete set of answers, the session was deemed valid.

“Any significant deviation led to the disqualification of that centre’s results.

However, in 2025, a more advanced model was adopted; one that focused on the actual source and logic of the answers provided, rather than just their quantity.

“The second change involved full-scale shuffling of both questions and answer options. This ensured that even two candidates sitting in the same session would not receive identical permutations, thereby enhancing test security.

“The third change was a series of systemic improvements aimed at optimising performance and reducing lag during exam sessions. This was a major policy change that saw the best and highest obtained UTME score in 15 years; a remarkable achievement by JAMB in principle.

“However, while these improvements were technologically sound in theory, a major operational flaw was uncovered during the implementation phase.

“The system patch necessary to support both shuffling and source-based validation had been fully deployed on the server cluster supporting the KAD (Kaduna) zone, but it was not applied to the LAG (Lagos) cluster, which services centres in Lagos and the South-East. This omission persisted across all sessions until the 17th session, after which the error was discovered and corrected.

“As a result, approximately 92 centres in the South-East and 65 centres in Lagos, totalling 157 centres, operated using outdated server logic that could not appropriately handle the new answer submission and marking structure. This affected an estimated 379,997 candidates, whose results were severely impacted due to system mismatches during answer validation.

“To verify the scale and accuracy of this issue, JAMB collaborated with the Educare Technical Team, which had gathered response data directly from over 18,000 candidates. After deduplication and filtering, about 15,000 authentic records were analysed.

“Of these, more than 14,000 originated from the regions serviced by the unpatched LAG servers, confirming the technical review’s findings.

“Comparative analyses between JAMB’s internal audits and third-party system evaluations revealed significant overlap, reinforcing the conclusion that the affected centres were indeed operating under impaired conditions.

“As a result, candidates in these centres were unfairly disadvantaged, with their responses improperly validated and their scores misrepresented. This was not a failure of our students, nor a deliberate act of sabotage, but a preventable human error within our system.

“We must not underestimate the toll this has taken. Parents and candidates have voiced legitimate concerns about the hurried scheduling of resit examinations, the overlap with ongoing WAEC assessments, the psychological strain, and the logistical burdens of travelling to distant centres on short notice.

“Reports from the resit examinations held on Friday include complaints of difficult questions, time management issues, more technical glitches, poor centre coordination, and a lack of adequate support for those still affected”.
May 18, 2025
And JAMB’s Oloyede wept

Last week, following the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) debacle, JAMB registrar’s Ishaq Oloyede’s high-profile and well-oiled media and public relations machinery went into overdrive. While countless commentators brought out the scalpel asking for the registrar’s head over the technical and human errors that undermined the examination and invalidated the results in the Lagos and Owerri zones, savvy media relations experts worked round the clock to reduce the stridency of the negative narrative against Prof. Oloyede. By last weekend the two sides were gently stalemated. The glitches affected nearly 380,000 candidates who sat for the examination, leading to outpouring of anger and grief among parents and students alike. One disconsolate candidate reportedly took her life, adding to the urgency of the crisis. But by last weekend also, the rescheduled examinations were already being written.

After the results were first released two Fridays ago, JAMB officials defended the integrity of the examinations and adduced logic for the abysmal scores of about 75 percent of the candidates. Infuriated, some experts, affected parents and students insisted that something was definitely wrong with the exams and markings. Startled by the unusually loud and persistent outcry, JAMB ordered a review, and discovered, grief-stricken, that in fact, part of the blame for the unflattering scores was attributable to the exam body. In the process of reading his prepared speech in which he accepted full responsibility for the errors, Prof. Oloyede choked and wept. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) would make amends, he promised. But by that time, the image and reputation of the institution had been dented. This probably explained why some commentators asked for his head, indicating that they were unmoved by any emotions. Conversely, because he owned up to the errors and accepted full responsibility, other commentators, including highly placed government and legislative officials, saluted his courage and asked that he should be allowed to continue in office. In short, whether he resigns or stays put is entirely up to him, at least for now.

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Since he assumed office in 2016 as JAMB registrar, Prof. Oloyede has made sterling contributions to the growth and performance of the exam body. He has inspired groundbreaking and transparent innovations to modernise the institution and make it accountable. But even as sterling as his contributions have been, neither JAMB nor any other institution saddled with such humongous and centralised responsibility is immune to the kind of glitches that undermined the 2025 UTME. Some commentators who damned him with faint praise have also been quick to counsel him to ensure avoidance of a repeat of the glitches. Perhaps the debate should not be about Prof. Oloyede, regardless of his exemplary contributions, but about the huge remit of JAMB, particularly whether the exam body should be saddled with such overarching responsibilities in a vast and heterogeneous society of over 230 million people.

In the UK, to complete secondary school, students have to write the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exam. Afterwards, they could either pursue subject-based qualifications such as A-levels or take vocational qualifications for two years. Different universities and colleges have variable requirements for each undergraduate course. Most require qualifications, subjects and exam grades and assess students suitability based on skills, experience, personal statements, interview performances and national tests (only) for medicine and law programmes. Applications are usually made through a Universities and College Admissions Service (UCAS), which also limits the number of universities that each student can apply to. Undergraduate requirements in the United States are quite different. There is no national entrance examination administered by the state or federal government or general admission service. Each university has its own admission requirements. Many undergraduate programs require one or more U.S. standardised test (SAT or ACT) scores as part of the application process. Institutions then evaluate these test scores as well as students academic record, before offers of admission are issued based on those assessments.

If the 2025 UTME could be undermined by technical glitches and human errors, despite the best efforts of officials, the problem could repeat itself in the future with dire consequences. While stringent measures are usually employed to ensure the integrity of examinations and academic tests in many parts of the world, no system is completely immune to errors, for a chain is as strong as its weakest link. For example, far more technologically advanced societies like the United Kingdom witnessed an embarrassing failure in the conduct of a centralised professional examination involving the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK some two years ago. The federation admitted that about 283 doctors who sat the Part 2 examination in September 2023 received incorrect results. This suggests that the doctors who believed they had passed or failed the exam, in reality had different outcomes. As reported by the British Medical Association (BMA), an estimated 1,451 medical doctors took the exam, which is a key component of the three-part assessment required for doctors in the Internal Medicine Training pathway to graduate to higher specialty training. Prior to the release of this statement, some of the affected candidates had gone on to sit for the third part of the exam and a few had secured higher specialty training positions based on their perhaps flawed results.

Prof. Oloyede’s tears exaggerated the flaws that undid the 2025 UTME. He has done very well in elevating the standard of the institution he assumed responsibility for in 2016. Whether he throws in the towel or not, it will not diminish his contributions. He may have got entangled in the whirligig of innovating the institution into the future, but even then the conversations Nigerians should be having now should transcend his innovations or the complacency of some of his officials. After all, if he steps down, nothing guarantees a better or more innovative registrar would be found for the exam body. The UTME debacle should instead lead Nigeria into reassessing its counterproductive centralisation of its affairs. Whether it relates to politics, economy, or social programmes, it is time to alter course and find more workable and less cataclysmic methods of running the affairs of the country. It is not about Prof Oloyede; it is about the implausible and dangerous unitary system upon which the country pivots. When a crash occurs, the consequences are always unnerving and disastrous.

May 18, 2025
JAMB opens counselling centre for UTME candidates
- Why Oloyede should be allowed to fix JME hiccups –Yusuf Ali
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has opened a Candidate Counseling Emergency Support Centre (CCESC) to assist Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination applicants.

The board said this in a post on its verified X (formerly Twitter) handle yesterday.

It said: “In addition to our usual and preferred ticketing platform for Candidates Support, JAMB has now opened a Candidate Counseling Emergency Support Centre (CCESC). Members of the public, particularly Candidates with genuine concerns can reach out to any of these officials:

a. Gbenga; b. Yusuf c.; Dubem; d. Tony e. Ogbonna and; f. Emma on 07002200016.

“Please note that the ticketing platform is still the primary and most effective method for communicating with the Board as it is fast and easy to use and also guarantees a quick reply.

“Candidates are hereby reminded that the primary and most effective method of communicating with the Board is through its ticketing system. It’s fast and easy to use. It guarantees a quick reply.

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“For the 2025 UTME Exam rewrite candidates, simply go to www.jamb.gov.ng and select Quicklinks. Select Ticketing/Support. Once you have been authenticated as a candidate by entering your Registration number, you can select Exam Rewrite and then select the applicable subtopic such as Slip printing issue, Center Issue, Clashing exam issue or any other issue you may have. You will get a prompt response.”

Meanwhile, a prominent lawyer,Professor Yusuf Ali (SAN) yesterday said the Registrar of JAMB,Professor Ishaq Oloyede has what it takes to handle the disruptions in the recent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in parts of the country.

A total of 379997 candidates in Lagos,Imo,Anambra,Enugu,Ebonyi and Abia states were affected by the disruptions which Oloyede called human and technical errors.

He apologised for the development and rescheduled the examinations beginning from yesterday.

Some critics called for his resignation.

However, Ali, his close friend of about 50 years, attested to his honesty,integrity,transparency,incorrupbility,human empathy and selflessness”

He said :“I dare say that, the path he had chosen on this unfortunate matter of admitting that there were mistakes, owing up and showing genuine empathy to the victims of this unfortunate event, is a rare occurrence in our part of the world.

“Oloyede has shown that those who operate in our national space are also fallible like all humans and that perfection belongs only to Almighty Allah.

“He has shown candor, honesty,transparency,humanness,and leadership by accepting full responsibility for acts of others because he happens to be the head of the organization.

“We that know Oloyede closely, can attest to the sleepless nights he usually has, at least three months before any of these examinations, moving physically, sometimes at very unreasonably hours of the day to visit the various offices of JAMB all over Nigeria in preparation for these examinations.

“No serious leader will abandon his people at the time of a crisis, which is what his resignation at this point will translate to. This unfortunate incident happened under his watch and it makes a lot of sense that he should not abandon ship but be manly enough to see to the end of the problem. Good leadership is not about taking flight when negative issues arise.”
May 17, 2025