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  • Foundation gives free UTME forms

    Foundation gives free UTME forms

    Chief Executive Officer of Ade Crown Empowerment Foundation (ACEF), Temitayo Abiodun, has begun distribution of 600 free UTME (Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination) application forms to qualified secondary school leavers in Ekiti State.

    The initiative, which started on February 2 at JIL Cybercafé (Torkin Technology), behind Ikere-Ekiti Town Hall, Ikere-Ekiti, ends on February, 13.

    Abiodun said the project represents the foundation’s effort to reduce financial constraints faced by families and to encourage young people to pursue higher education. He noted that access to education remains one of the most powerful tools for transforming lives and building a progressive society.

    “This initiative is to give students opportunity to further their education without being limited by financial challenges. Our youths are the future of Ekiti State and Nigeria, and investing in their education is investing in sustainable development,” he said.

    Read Also: Nigeria, World Bank push for jobs, growth

    The initiative has continued to positively impact students in the state by providing support and opening pathways to tertiary education. Beneficiaries of previous editions have successfully got admission into higher institutions.

    Temitayo urged students in the state, particularly those in Ikere-Ekiti, to take advantage of the opportunity while registration is open. He stressed that the forms are limited and will be distributed to eligible candidates on a first-come, first-served basis.

    Community stakeholders and education advocates have lauded the initiative, describing it as timely and impactful, especially in the face of rising educational costs and economic challenges.

    Parents, guardians, and students are to visit the registration venue to ensure they benefit from the  programme.

    The foundation reiterated its commitment to initiatives that promote education, youth empowerment, and community development in the state and beyond.

  • 2025 UTME: 176 underage candidates undergo screening for admission

    2025 UTME: 176 underage candidates undergo screening for admission

    A total of 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, which was designed to ensure that only outstanding and well-prepared candidates below the age of 16 are considered for admission into tertiary institutions, was conducted by experts assembled by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

    The panel members were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), vice chancellors, and the Gifted School, among others.

    Addressing reporters, 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 (Imo State) 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. After that, the papers were marked, and they proceeded to the second session. After that, we will have a face-to-face interaction with them,” he said.

    The former Minister of Sports said 22 candidates participated in the screening at the Abuja centre, totalling 176 candidates nationwide.

    “Twenty-two candidates are here in Abuja centre and, nationwide, there are 176,” he said.

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

    Read Also: 2025 UTME: 176 underage candidates undergo screening for admission 

    Giving his assessment after monitoring the exercise, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Mohammed Dandutse, hailed 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. This is because if you take an underage to go to the university and they don’t perform, it is a useless venture.

    “So, it is better that the examination is carried out so that the best talent can be selected and it will pave the way for the development of this country,” Dandutse said.

    The lawmaker representing Katsina South Senatorial District reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s education policies aimed at national development.

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

    Also, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Examination Bodies, who also monitored the exercise in Abuja, Oboku Oforji, praised the students for their outstanding performance.

    He said this 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 JAMB. We want to encourage them to do more. Even though we believe that with what we sighted, more is supposed to be encouraged,” said Offorji, who was joined by fellow committee members.

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

    The 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 praised the candidates for their orderly behaviour and assured that the screening would strictly adhere to the guidelines provided by JAMB.

    The under-16 candidates at the Owerri Centre were drawn from the Southsouth and the Southeast geopolitical zones.

    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 per cent and above.

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

  • Our struggles with less preferred courses, by students

    Our struggles with less preferred courses, by students

    It is not uncommon for students to be passionate about studying a particular course. Although many times parents also compel them to do so,leaving them with no option than to accede to the demands of their parents. In this report WONDERFUL ADEGOKE (UDUS) chronicles the struggles of students who had to abandon their dream courses to please their parents and those who applied for certain courses but were given other ones by institutions based on quota system or poor subject combinations.

    Everyone knew Yusuf Halimat   had always wanted to become a lawyer in the future, but because there comes a point when one must relinquish the dream for a chance to make the best of reality, she threw open the doors of her mind for Mass Communication.

    She strained to keep her disappointment from showing while speaking to CAMPUS LIFE. Fondly called ‘Barrister’ by friends, colleagues, and even her parents, her choice of law is built on a long-held passion to defend the truth, educate people about their rights, and  uphold justice.

    Not convinced that passion alone could secure a seat in the noble profession, Halimat’s parents employed a private tutor to guide her studies as she prepared for her O-level and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    She went, with high hopes in mind for both herself and her parents, who had said that nothing but law could make them proud.

    Doubling her efforts for a good push, Halimat, the Taraba-born indigene of Kurmi LGA, eyed gaining admission to study law at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS).

    However, change, the one constant thing in a world full of wonders; as she said, stirred the course of her ship. The joy of leaving Mafara, Zamfara state for Sokoto, being an instance of admitting defeat.

    She still feels a part of herself beginning to close off, like a person running to guard a half-open door. But even harder mirroring the scowl and  huffy silence that crept between her and her parents, especially her mother who preferred UDUS for Common and Islamic Law and for being the most peaceful institution of learning in the country.

    Halimat recalled the pains of losing law in 2023 despite getting the 210 UTME score benchmarked for UDUS catchment areas.

    “I felt like quitting,” she disclosed, briefly touching on the dead ends faced after her next shot at UTME for law.

    Halimat’s experience is not new. One of the most disheartening things about our tertiary institutions is that despite passing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination(WASSCE) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation  Examination(UTME) and Post-UTME of the various institutions, a student is still not guaranteed admission for their preffered course.

    For Ayomide Shokunbi, a student  at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), her dream course has become an uphill battle, making her feel like she is  working on borrowed time.

    19-year-old Shokunbi, who had earlier applied to study at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), maintained a silence that confirmed what life would never let her forget: it was Human Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) she wanted, but ended up with Statistics.

    Being the fourth in a family of five, Shokunbi, now became the object of cold glances and ridicule.

    “I don’t know how to put it,” she admitted. Now sure of completing her undergraduate studies at FUNAAB next year, Shokunbi is weighed down by lost passion and the prospects of finding fulfillment in statistics.

    Similarly, Abubakar Nasiru, a student at  UDUS, recalled how he began his academic  journey unprepared.

    “I had completed and even passed the university’s one-year remedial programme, which was meant to ease my admission into the university,” he explained.

    Though passionate about human life and being a Medical Laboratory Scientist, his memory first retrieves what he now hopes is Allah’s best plans for him: Plant Science. Left with no alternative, his interest in medicinal plants is no longer a once-in-a-while sort of thing.

    When questioned about his involvement in journalism, as confirmed through findings made by CAMPUS LIFE, 25-year-old Nasiru, now a member of the National Association of Campus Journalists (NACJ–UDUS Chapter), said it gives him a sense of belonging. Nasiru is concerned about science communication and the traditional misconceptions surrounding herbs got from plants.

    “Dead on arrival”

    Bello Inioluwa has long known how life predicts itself: before the best and worst of things, a kind of oracle appears. Hers was a human voice she couldn’t get over behind the walls of her mind.

    Not convinced that the look one of her secondary school teachers (name withheld) gave her after seeing the C4 grade in Chemistry in her 2019 NECO exam foretold future disappointment, she pursued Human Medicine at the University of Ibadan (UI) with full gusto.

    Certain the fault would have been laid at her feet for giving up, she stayed back to give it another try. “I stayed home to write another UTME,” she disclosed.

    Read Also: Nigeria Air project not a fraud-Sirika

    CAMPUS LIFE understands her discouragement, though hard to discern, came from the seed sown by her teacher, who wrote her off with an undisguised threat: “If I hear you’ve opened a hospital, I’ll never step in.”

    According to Inioluwa, she tried to channel her energy into a different but similar path. “Even though I really loved to study, when I realized I couldn’t get MBBS, I went for animals, a mentality I had to adapt to,” says 20-year-old Inioluwa, now a final-year student of Animal Physiology at FUNAAB.

    However, unlike Inioluwa, Halimat still struggles to find succour in Mass Communication. She’s conversant with the droid-voice of newsroom and professional ethics, but she still can’t explain how or why she’s spurred to carry on.

    Expert weighs in

    Dr Afeez  Amuda, a lecturer currently serving as the Examination Officer in the Department of Science and Vocational Education, UDUS, told CAMPUS LIFE that students most often need guidance.

    He noted that advising students faced with challenges when transferred to another programme will help them develop a positive mindset.

    Dr Amuda also suggests that students have a ‘Plan B’ to avoid being affected by the university’s cutoff requirements.

    “MBBS last year was 280 for national merit,” he explained, citing the case of a student who had 286 and wasn’t given admission because the quota had been filled up.

    Of the school’s 150 quota for medicine, Dr Amuda said 300 students qualified, and some had to be dropped.

    In defence  of why it is done that way, he said, JAMB offers a different course where the quota is not yet filled as an alternative. Eventually, when given a course, the student can choose to accept the course and retake the exam the next year, hopefully with a high score in mind.

    However, briefly touching on cases of multiple failed attempts at a course of study, he asserts: “There must be diversification in life. Everyone cannot study medicine.”

    Dr Amuda recommends guidance and counselling, the support the university provides for students.

  • UI commences post-UTME screening for 2025/26 admission seekers

    UI commences post-UTME screening for 2025/26 admission seekers

    The University of Ibadan has started its post-UTME (Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination) screening of candidates seeking admission into its 21 faculties for undergraduate programmes in the 2025/2026 academic session.

    The computer-based screening, which commenced on Monday, August 25, 2025, at the 1,500-capacity Computer-Based Testing Centre of the university’s Distance Learning Centre, is scheduled to run for three days.

    The screening exercises are scheduled to be held in four batches on each day to accommodate the 14,000 admission seekers who have registered and are expected to participate in the exercise.

    Medical personnel from the University Health Services (Jaja Clinic) are on hand to attend to any medical emergency that may occur in the course of the exercise.

    Read Also: UNN cancels 2023/2024 Post-UTME over harsh economy

    Safety officers of the university are also on site to maintain crowd control and ensure the safety of participants and their parents/guardians, who patiently waited within the premises of the CBT Centre under designated canopies.

    The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Professor Peter Olapegba, other principal officers of the university and designated teaching and non-teaching staff were also on hand to monitor the exercises.

  • Top UTME scorer, others get scholarship, named Warri brand ambassadors

    Top UTME scorer, others get scholarship, named Warri brand ambassadors

    One of the top scorers of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Ebule Oritsemeyiwa Precious, 16, has received a fully funded scholarship from the Warri South council  for his outstanding academic performance.

    The Chairman of Warri South council, Comrade Agbateyiniro Weyinmi Isaac, honoured Ebule and two other teenagers, McCarthy Oritsetseyigbemi Jessy, the winner of the 2025 NDLEA National Award; and Adekunle Oluwasegun David, a talented young saxophonist for their outstanding brilliance, and awarded them as Warri Brand Ambassadors.

    At a ceremony held during a breakout session of the Council’s executive meeting, the Chairman stated: “Excellence pays. Doing the right thing pays. If people are not rewarded for doing good, they might think their efforts are in vain.”

    Ebule scored an impressive 334 in the 2025 UTME and received a full four-year university scholarship, 

    McCarthy was granted ₦2,139,000, covering her 2025 tuition, while Adekunle was gifted ₦500,000 to support his education and musical career.

    The recognition extended beyond the trio to one Mr. Jolly Omatie, a volunteer teacher who has served Ukpotiki Primary School in the riverine area for years without pay. Omatie will now receive a monthly stipend of ₦77,000 from the council in appreciation of his selfless service.

    Agbateyiniro said the initiative reflects the spirit of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda, which prioritizes merit-based development and grassroots connection.

    “This is our own version of the MORE Agenda in Warri South. Every local government has its way of interpreting it. Here, we are connecting it to excellence and merit,” he said.

    Read Also: Admissions: JAMB lists conditions for screening of under-16 UTME candidates

    He added that the Warri brand must be represented by individuals who embody excellence and integrity, stating: “Those that are going to be in charge of this brand must be people of merit. If we find any of you acting outside the values of excellence, you will be stripped of this honour. We want others to emulate you.”

    Princess (Mrs.) Misan Eke, Supervisor for Human Capital Development, detailed the benefits each honouree would receive and emphasised that the council’s gesture is a strategic investment in the future of Warri.

    Chairman of the Warri Brand Committee, Dr. Marvis Onojowho, also lauded the council for institutionalising the recognition of merit, stating that rewarding excellence is key to shaping a brighter future for Warri.

    The teenage ambassadors, visibly elated, and joined by their fathers, expressed gratitude to the council for the honour bestowed on them and pledged to live up to the expectations of their new roles. 

    Meanwhile, Ebule has aced his core subjects in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE.

    He got A1 in Further Mathematics, A1 in Physics, A1 in Chemistry, B3 in General Mathematics and B2 in Technical Drawing in the just released results.

  • Low turn out as 12,000 candidates sit for mop-up UTME

    Low turn out as 12,000 candidates sit for mop-up UTME

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said that more than 80 per cent of the 98,232 candidates eligible for Saturday’s nationwide mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) failed to appear.

    The board attributed the low turn out to intensified security measures targeting impersonators and exam cheats.

    It added that of the 98,232 candidates that registered for the resit examination, only 12,000 plus eventually took the exam.

    JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, who monitored the exercise at the Technology CBT Centre in NAF Valley Estate, Abuja, told journalists that turnout was alarmingly low, with only about 12 per cent of registered candidates showing up across the country.

    Oloyede noted that mop-up exams are typically organised for a few thousand candidates with legitimate reasons such as illness or verified technical issues to miss the main UTME.

    He said: “Every year, we do mop-up. And it is normally for about 4,000, 5,000 students; who for illness, for genuine excuse could not take the exam. Or who after review, we saw had technical problems in their centers. This is normally for about 4,000, 5,000. Every year we do that.”

    On the mop-up exam results, he said while they would be ready on Saturday, the board might delay their release till Monday to allow for further scrutiny and removal of suspected fraudulent entries.

    “So that may make us delay till Monday, just to be able to see how many of those criminals we have been able to arrest,” he said.

    The registrar explained that this year’s large mop-up pool was necessitated by allegations of widespread absences in the main examination, saying the Board opted to give everyone a second chance—while also leveraging intelligence gathered from security agencies.

    He added: “In the wisdom of the management and our stakeholders, we felt everybody (who missed the exam) should be given an opportunity. Whether for whatever reason that you did not make it. But again, we also knew that we are wiser.

    “Given the work that we have done in conjunction with the SSS and the police. We have been able to get some intelligence, some information that we could use. To really apprehend those who are impersonating in particular.

    “So we now felt that it’s better to keep the door open as wide as possible. At least to apprehend (impersonators). And then you can see that the performance (turnout) throughout the country is far, far below what you would expect. Those who even indicated coming out of the 90,000, there are about 12,000 plus. Who eventually, who indicated that they were coming.”

    He added that some CBT centres expecting 250 candidates per session recorded fewer than 20 attendees, which he said was anticipated.

    “Because what you have is a bunch of syndicates. Particularly those who say they are tutorial centers. They are some private school proprietors who have become syndicates of examination malpractice,”  Oloyede said, adding that with the determination of the Federal Ministry of Education to lead this war, exam malpractice would be reduced to the barest minimum.

    The JAMB boss also disclosed that some individuals attempted to cheat by falsely declaring themselves as albino in a bid to exploit facial recognition vulnerabilities.

    Oloyede said: “We have never had even up to 100 albinos in any year. But this year you have 1,787 albinos. Those who declared to be albino, 1,787.

    “So, out of 2 million. And we now found out that one centre registered 450 out of this 1,000. As if all albinos in Africa decided to go to that centre.

    “Why are they sourcing a number of albinos? They are not not albinos. It is because the AI that they were using had certain features. That if they do not declare themselves as albino in our form, you will look critically more.

    “Because it makes it reddish. The colour. So, when one of those arrested or one of those in custody now gave information that, look, I will tell you. This is the first step towards it.

    “So, we now go after all those who claimed to be albino. And we found out that all the albinos are less than 250.

    “You can see the black man arrested (in Benin) claiming to be an albino. How do you become albino? But that is one of their strategies. To declare that they are albino. Because what they do in blending is that if you want to impersonate him, they will take a picture of the two of you. And then blend it. When you look at the picture, it will look like you. It will also look like you. That’s what the AI is doing now. It’s picture blending.”

    The registrar emphasized that suspected impersonators who failed to take the exam after alleging exclusion from the main UTME would not escape accountability.

    He stated: “They registered with their name. They have schools. They have NINs.

    “They had their phone number. The security agencies are capable of picking them. And indeed, a number of them are already been picked up.”

    Oloyede also hinted that parents found financing examination malpractice schemes for their children would soon face investigation and possible prosecution.

    Speaking on Direct Entry (DE) admissions, Oloyede revealed that 14 candidates had already been caught presenting forged certificates this year. 

    He lamented the role of educational institutions in enabling the fraud.

    Read Also: UTME 2025: Osilama Abigboa, others raise the bar

    Oloyede said: “A new one that we discovered yesterday in the ongoing registration was that about 20, 30 students who did not go through NCE were being awarded NCE certificates in order to be able to register for Direct Entry.

    “And one of the students who finished from secondary school in 2021, was purportedly admitted to NCE in 2020 in order to graduate in 2023. And the reason simply was that, you know, there was the condoness granted by the then Minister of Education from 2017 to 2020. Those who were illegally admitted, because of their large number, were recommended that let us condone (the illegal admission) because these students, we thought, were likely innocent.

    “So about 1 million of them. So we wanted to clear them. But when we asked them to bring their certificates for clearance, there was no certificate.

    “Some of them who had graduated as a medical doctor are now bringing results in chemistry and biology after graduation. It’s not something you can remedy after graduation. You want to become an engineer, you do it without a credit in Mathematics. After you have been caught, you now say, yes, I’m going to do the GCE. It doesn’t work like that. You ought to have had it before going through the training.

    “So we have a large number of them. So what they are now doing is that they cannot go through with them again, because we have closed the gates. They are now admitting people after 2020.

    “And they are now validating their certificates between 2017 and 2020. There are many institutions involved. But all of them, they will have to pay for it.”

  • Relief for 96,838 candidates as mop-up UTME holds Saturday

    Relief for 96,838 candidates as mop-up UTME holds Saturday

    For 96,838 candidates involved in the ripple effects of this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), a second chance to redeem themselves holds on Saturday. JAMB is organising a mop-up UTME for the affected candidates. Assistant Editor Bola Olajuwon reports on what necessitates the fresh examination and how it will be conducted.

    ON Saturday, no fewer than 96,838 candidates will have a chance to sit for mop-up Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to be organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The mop-up examination will accommodate 5,096 spill-over candidates, those who failed biometric verification during the main exercise for this year’s UTME. It will also include absentee candidates of the main and resit examinations as well as 91,742 candidates, who were absent in both or either of the main and resit examinations.

    Reasons behind the mop-up exam

    It will be recalled that the JAMB UTME results were initially affected by a technical glitch, which was identified as a human error. This error led to a mass resit for over 379,000 candidates, primarily in Lagos and the Southeast.

    The board acknowledged the error and apologised for the disruption after a public uproar. The affected candidates were contacted and were given new dates for their resit examination.

    According to JAMB, the issue stemmed from a failure to properly apply a patch update on some of the service providers’ servers, specifically in Lagos and the Southeast during the initial release of the results.

    Approximately 206,610 candidates in Lagos and 173,387 candidates in the Owerri zone, comprising the Southeast states, were affected.

    Surprisingly, JAMB’s registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, at a media briefing, took responsibility for the error and apologised to the affected candidates and the public. A mass resit was ordered for the candidates, with JAMB working with West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to minimise timetable clashes.

    The board also engaged top IT experts and educational assessment professionals to investigate the technical glitches that marred the examination.

    Despite the registrar’s public apology and steps taken by the board, some stakeholders and the Southeast National Assembly Caucus, led by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, called on the management to urgently carry out an independent system audit and review all reports concerning the glitch that characterised the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

    Addressing journalists in Abuja, Kalu asserted that the events surrounding the 2025 UTME shook public confidence in one of the nation’s most critical gateways to opportunity.

    According to him, the mass outcry that followed the release of the results, and the subsequent technical review, demands not only transparency, but decisive action to restore faith in the country’s educational system.

    The Deputy Speaker commended the JAMB boss for accepting responsibility for the outcome of the exercise, saying: “The swift apology and the decision to offer retake opportunities for all affected candidates reflect a commitment to fairness and justice.”

    He noted that though the apology was in order, it did not erase the trauma, disruption, and uncertainty experienced by the candidates and their families. He lamented the case of a candidate who committed suicide owing to the outcome of the UTME exercise.

    The House of Representatives also launched an investigation into the technical malfunction that marred the UTME. In addition, the lawmakers urged the Federal Government to mandate JAMB to release the results of all candidates below the age of 16 who participated in the examination.

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    They also called for the establishment of Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in all 774 local government areas of the country to ease the difficulties faced by candidates during examinations.

    JAMB to candidates: get ready for the mop-up exam

    During the week, the board, in a statement by its Public Communications Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said the affected candidates for the mop-up examination can begin printing their examination notification slips from June 23.

    The statement said: “The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has approved Saturday, June 28, for the conduct of the 2025 UTME mop-up examination. This examination will accommodate the 5,096 spill-over candidates and those who failed biometric verification during the main exercise.

    “Also, due to the special dispensation granted to absentee candidates of the main and resit examinations, 91,742 candidates who were absent in both or either of the main and resit examinations would also be given this opportunity which is only for 2025 UTME. Thus 96,838 candidates are being rescheduled for the 2025 mop up exercise in 183 centres across the nation while others are kept on standby.”

    No mop-up exam in 113 CBT centres

    JAMB, however, said that 113 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across the country have been suspended or delisted due to various infractions uncovered during the conduct of the UTME.

    According to the board, some of the affected centres were found to have committed technical infractions during the mock and main examinations, while others were implicated in ongoing security investigations into examination malpractice.

    “Consequently, 113 CBT centres have been delisted or suspended from across the country. Some other implicated in multiple infractions in the main or resit examinations exercise,” it said.

    JAMB hails security agencies

    The board expressed appreciation to security agencies for their role in a nationwide investigation into identity theft and other forms of examination fraud, which has led to several arrests and prosecutions.

    As part of the investigation, the board said some examination towns have been disqualified from hosting the mop-up exam, adding that affected candidates will be reassigned to nearby centres.

    The statement said: “The board also appreciated the security agencies, particularly the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), for their extra-ordinary devotion, passion and tenacity in the on-going nationwide special investigation of identity theft and examination malpractices syndicates which led to the arrest and prosecution of tens of culprits, including few JAMB officials, professional examination takers and syndicates of some school proprietors and tutorial centres.

    “As a result of the investigation, a number of examination towns are no longer eligible to be used for the mop-up examinations. Few candidates who fall into the deactivated examination towns would be assigned to examination towns closest to the delisted towns. We seek the understanding of such candidates.”

    JAMB stated that the mop-up exam offers an opportunity to identify and prosecute more impersonators, including undergraduates who sit for UTME on behalf of others.

    “The scheduled mop up examination provides the opportunity to further apprehend more impersonators particularly current undergraduate students, who impersonate UTME candidates. Institutions of apprehended undergraduates are already being notified of the gross misconduct of their students in order to invoke the violation of the matriculation oath already taken by the students to flush them out of the various tertiary institutions, in addition to their prosecution under the Examination Malpractice Act, 1999, which makes provisions for imprisonment even of the under-aged and their indulgent parents,” it said.

    Special invigilators, security personnel for exam

    JAMB also added that it is deploying special squads of invigilators and security personnel as part of the renewed crackdown on malpractice.

    “Special squads of invigilators/security personnel are being deployed in the continuation of the current war already declared by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on examination malpractices and their perpetrators both high and low,” it said.

    How the exam will be conducted

    Candidates sitting for the 8:00 a.m. session are advised to arrive early.

    “The first session for the examination day starts, as usual, at 8:00am. Candidates for the 8:00am session are therefore advised in their own interest to arrive one or one and half hour before the actual commencement of the examination at 8:00am,” the board said.

    “Eligible and genuine candidates are advised to print their examination notification slips from Monday, 23rd June, 2025 in preparation for the mop-up examination scheduled for Saturday, 28th June, 2025,” it added.

    Candidates react

    Some of the affected candidates have hailed the fresh move by JAMB.

    A candidate, Mathew James, in an interview with The Nation yesterday, said he saw the mop-up examination as a second chance.

    “It is a second chance because it’s another opportunity to succeed after failing at something previously. It implies a chance to redeem oneself or try again, often after making a mistake or experiencing a setback. I am preparing adequately for it,” he said.

    Another candidate, Funmi Adeola, said she is also preparing for the examination, adding that she had printed her slip and visited her centre.

  • UTME: 11 CBT centres to face sanctions

    UTME: 11 CBT centres to face sanctions

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has recommended tough penalties for 11  Computer Based Test (CBT) centres for their alleged involvement in fingerprint irregularities during registration for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    Also to be penalised are registration centres that had  more than 50 candidates with fingerprint irregularities.

    The sanctions are, however, subject to approval by Education Minister Tunji Alausa, 

    Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, made this known after a stakeholder meeting on examination infractions in Abuja yesterday.

    Oloyede explained that the penalties are intended to protect the integrity of the examination process.

    Oloyede said: “The leadership of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, with some critical stakeholders here, recommends as follows: That any registrant who has registered more than 50 candidates (with infractions) should be dismissed from participating in any activities of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation  Board.

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    “And what that means, is that such a person will not participate in any UTME exercise, will not be registered for the UTME even as a student, and will not be allowed to participate in any of the sister examinations, be it WAEC(West African Examination Centre), NECO(National Examination Council)  or NABTEB (National Business and Technical Examinations Board)   and this is to be for three years.

     “The suspension is to stay for three years. After three years, the board will revisit it and look at the issue. If the registrant has shown any remorse, such a suspension could be lifted.

    “And others who have registered less than 50 will be warned, and they will be required to write a letter of apology to the board after issuing a bond, indicating that they will not be involved in such a thing again.

    “Then for CBT centres, all CBT centres involved are to be warned, and then they will be asked to sign a bond. And besides the bond, they will also be required to give evidence of training of their registrants.

    “And that training should be anchored by any of the federal universities within their vicinity. That training should be anchored by the appropriate department of the university within their vicinity.”

    Oloyede said the board would not entertain any infraction from the affected centres in the future despite even if they claim ignorance.  

    He added: “We will not allow any of these centres to do anything with us until they bring a certificate, a letter from a federal institution closest to that centre that their staff had been trained on ethical standards.

  • 2025 UTME registration: 11 CBT centres to face sanction over fingerprints irregularities – JAMB

    2025 UTME registration: 11 CBT centres to face sanction over fingerprints irregularities – JAMB

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has recommended tough penalties for 11 Computer‑Based Test (CBT) centres and their registrants involved in fingerprint irregularities during registration for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede made this known after a brainstorming session with some critical stakeholders following a meeting with the affected CBT centres and registrants on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The JAMB boss stated that the measures, which still require the approval of the Education Minister, Dr Tunji Alausa, are intended to protect the integrity of the examination process.

    JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, who read the recommendations of the meeting said: “The leadership of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board with some critical stakeholders here recommends as follows: That any registrant who has registered more than 50 candidates (with infractions) should be dismissed from participating in any activities of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation  Board.

    “And what that means is that such a person will not participate in any UTME exercise, will not be registered for the UTME even as a student, and will not be allowed to participate in any of the sister examinations, be it WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB,  and this is to be for three years.

    “The suspension is to stay for three years. After three years, the Board will revisit it and look at the issue. If the registrant has shown any remorse, such a suspension could be lifted.

    “And others who have registered less than 50 will be warned, and they will be required to write a letter of apology to the Board after issuing a bond, indicating that they will not be involved in such a thing again.

    “Then, for CBT centres, all CBT centres involved are to be warned, and then they will be asked to sign a bond. And besides the bond, they will also be required to give evidence of the training of their registrants.

    “And that training should be anchored by any of the federal universities within their vicinity. That training should be anchored by the appropriate department of the university within its vicinity.”

    Oloyede said the Board will not entertain any infraction from the affected centres in the future, despite their claim of ignorance, hence the need for them to undergo necessary training in federal universities closest to them before they can be re-engaged by JAMB.

    He added, “We will not allow any of these centres to do anything with us until they bring a certificate, a letter from a federal institution closest to that centre that their staff had been trained on ethical standards.

    “But for the centres, those that are owned by the federal government, the reports will be made to the authorities that this is what your agency did.”

    Earlier, most of the affected registrants and some CBT operators who confessed engaging in candidate’s finger contribution during the registration process, hinged the act on ignorance or the need to get more people registered in their centres, even as many broke down in tears and pleaded for leniency.

    One of the stakeholders at the meeting and former Lagos Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the actions of the affected registrants warrant prosecution and possible jail term.

    He appealed to JAMB to forgive and make them sign undertaking not to engage in  such infraction in future.

    Earlier, an official of Jicoras CBT Centre, Bashir Gumel, said the centre has already commenced an internal probe on the involvement of its registrants, saying the outcome will be forwarded to JAMB.

    Gumel said, “We have summoned all of them to come here and we have heard what they have done. And they have confessed that.  To retain the integrity of our institution, this will not go like that. They have to be punished.

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    “And we promise that the action that will be taken will be shared with the JAMB office. And in that regard, again, our centre is not an established centre. We are in the catchment area where there are very few CBT centres.

    “Because this is our first time, and we were not aware of such an occurrence. We promised that this will never occur again.”

    The affected CBT centres that were invited for the meeting are Misau Emirate ICT Centre, Misau, Bauchi State,  Ijaw National Academy, Kiama, Bayelsa State, Directorate of ICT Nigerian Army University, Biu, Gombe State, Emerald IT Academy Limited, Benin City, Edo State, Tigh Technologies, Sascon International School, Maitama, Abuja, Jicoras CBT Centre, Babura, Jigawa State and Huntsville Technology Limited, Anthony, Lagos State.

    Others are Jolas College CBT Centre, Obalende, Lagos, Abdul Ocean Wealth CBT Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Wase, Plateau State and the Consulate Salle D’Examen CBT Centre, By Jonny Lane/Navy Barrack Agip Estate, Rivers State.

  • UTME: Anglican diocese honours 51 outstanding pupils

    UTME: Anglican diocese honours 51 outstanding pupils

    A total of 51 students have been honored by the Diocese on the Niger for their outstanding scores in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    Twenty of the students scored 300 and above, while 31 scored 270 to 299.

    Presenting the students with the awards, Bishop on the Niger, Rt Rev Owen Nwokolo said the award marks another milestone for unwavering commitment to holistic education on the Niger.

    He said the award, comprising cash gift and a book titled The Lord’s Prayer’ written by the Bishop was a way of celebrating the students’ hard work and encouraging others to strive for excellence in their academic pursuits.

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    Assuring the diocese commitment to remain a beacon for education formation in the State, the Prelate disclosed that 100 students would benefit from the gesture next year.

    He encouraged the Niger Education Board and principals of Diocesan schools to maintain their good work, expressing desire for more students to excel.

    Nwokolo also emphasized importance of mentorship to parents, teachers, and students, highlighting its role in shaping future leaders.

    “I urge parents, supervising priests and school board members to collaborate in mentorship, broadening their education ministry to produce more stars and leaders of tomorrow,” he added.

    Responding, Master Onwuagana of Archbishop Maxwell Anikwenwa Secondary School, Awkuzu, who had the highest score of 338, thanked the Diocese for recognizing their efforts.