By Ajibola Olaide, JKNewsMedia Reporter
THE JOINT Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has admitted to critical flaws in the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, triggering nationwide concern over credibility and performance outcomes.
The Board revealed that nearly 380,000 candidates, primarily from Lagos and the five South-Eastern states, will sit a fresh UTME following what it described as a deliberate act of sabotage.
Speaking in Abuja, Registrar of the Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, addressed the media with a rare admission of failure, stating unequivocally, “I apologise. I take full responsibility.”
He confirmed that candidates affected by the compromised examination will begin receiving rescheduling notifications from Thursday.
According to JAMB, the technical breach originated from 157 centres across the country, undermining the integrity of over 387,000 candidates’ results.
The damage was widespread, prompting immediate internal investigation and public accountability from the examination body.
The controversy comes amid already troubling statistics from the 2025 UTME.
Of the 1,955,069 results processed, only 12,414 candidates, representing a mere 0.63 per cent, scored 300 and above.
A scant 4,756 candidates managed to cross the 320 marks, a score typically associated with top-tier performance in competitive programmes.
The data shows a steep decline in scores across board. A total of 334,560 candidates (17.11 per cent) earned scores between 200 and 249, while over half—983,187 candidates (50.29 per cent)—fell within the 160–199 range.
This band is often regarded as the base threshold for university admission in many institutions.
The remainder performed even more poorly: 488,197 (24.97 per cent) scored between 140 and 159; 57,419 (2.94 per cent) between 120 and 139; 3,820 (0.20 per cent) between 100 and 119; and 2,031 (0.10 per cent) scored below 100.
Altogether, more than 75 per cent of candidates scored below 200 out of a possible 400, igniting concerns among stakeholders about the standard of secondary education, examination preparedness, and assessment integrity.
JAMB has moved to reschedule exams for affected candidates following the disruption, and measures are being considered to prevent similar incidents in the future following the Board’s admission of technical flaws and its public apology regarding the issue.
