JAMB Confirms Technical Glitch in 2025 UTME
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has confirmed a system error that compromised the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), affecting 379,997 candidates across 157 centres.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, admitted during a press conference in Abuja that the glitch occurred due to a failure by one of the board’s technical service providers to update its server software, resulting in the non-upload of candidates’ responses during the first three days of the examination.
Lagos and South-East Most Affected
According to JAMB, the affected centres include 65 in Lagos, impacting 206,610 candidates, and 92 in the South-East, affecting 173,387 candidates in Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Anambra states.
As a result, all affected candidates are required to resit the UTME beginning Friday, May 16, 2025. Candidates will receive notifications via SMS, email, and phone calls and are advised to reprint their examination slips for updated details.
JAMB Offers Apology and Support
Professor Oloyede offered an unreserved apology to the affected students and their families, taking full responsibility for the error. He noted that JAMB is working closely with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to ensure the rescheduled UTME does not clash with ongoing WASSCE exams.
In a show of support, JAMB has also pledged financial compensation to assist with transportation and logistics for the resit.
Public Outrage and Legal Threats
The announcement has sparked backlash from education stakeholders. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened legal action, while some parents and advocacy groups have called for Oloyede’s resignation, citing the impact on students’ academic futures.
JAMB says it has launched an internal review and brought in independent experts to audit its systems to prevent a recurrence.
