In a deeply emotional and unprecedented moment in Nigeria’s education history, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, broke down in tears as he publicly apologized to Nigerians for a technical error that marred the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
During a press briefing held on Wednesday in Abuja, the visibly shaken Registrar admitted full responsibility for the system errors that significantly affected the performance of hundreds of thousands of candidates. He disclosed that a total of 379,997 candidates who sat for the UTME in Lagos and the five South-East states would be rescheduled to retake the examination due to a glitch in the testing system.
What Went Wrong
According to Prof. Oloyede, the issue originated from a flaw in the examination software categorized under the “LAG” examination engine, which covers candidates in Lagos and the South-East. After the mock exams, JAMB decided to implement a shuffling mechanism for examination options within the system. While the updated software was tested and appeared to function correctly during initial simulations, a critical omission went undetected.
On Friday, April 25, 2025, the second day of the UTME, JAMB discovered missing items in some of the test questions administered under the LAG category. A corrective software patch was deployed over the weekend and successfully tested. The issue was resolved by Tuesday, April 29, ensuring that all exams conducted from that date forward were free from errors.
However, while attempting to correct and re-upload the affected responses from the earlier sessions, errors occurred during patch implementation at certain centres. This resulted in data inconsistencies in the exam results for thousands of candidates.
Extent of the Damage
In total, 65 centres in Lagos (206,610 candidates) and 92 centres in the South-East (173,387 candidates) were affected. Prof. Oloyede explained that the technical personnel assigned to these zones failed to properly update the delivery servers at some centres. Unfortunately, these issues were not detected before the release of results.
“The personnel from the service provider failed to update several servers with the corrected patch, which led to data loss and inconsistent grading,” the Registrar explained. “It is not a matter of system sabotage or a widespread failure, but a clear case of negligence by one of our service providers.”
A Tearful Apology and Accountability
In a rare display of vulnerability, Prof. Oloyede admitted fault and took personal responsibility for the incident.
“As the Registrar of JAMB, I take full responsibility for this unfortunate situation not just in words, but with the weight of accountability,” he said, wiping away tears. “We are deeply sorry for the trauma this may have caused affected candidates, their families, and the Nigerian public.”
He further added, “Mistakes were made. We own them. We learn. We improve. This incident is a painful setback for our Board, but it will not define us. Transparency and fairness remain our core values.”
Quoting a powerful reflection on humility, Oloyede said: “There are three powerful expressions in human interaction one-word: ‘please’; two words: ‘thank you’; and three words: ‘I am sorry.’ Today, I say to Nigerians and all affected candidates: I am truly sorry.”
Next Steps for Affected Candidates
To mitigate the damage and restore fairness, JAMB has announced that all 379,997 affected candidates across the 157 affected centres will be rescheduled to retake the UTME starting Friday, May 16, 2025.
Affected candidates will be notified via text messages, emails, phone calls, and through their JAMB profiles. They are expected to reprint their exam slips to confirm their new examination dates and centres.
Fallout and Reactions
The announcement comes amidst widespread backlash from education stakeholders, civil society groups, and parents, following the historically poor performance recorded in the 2025 UTME.
Of the 1.9 million candidates who sat for the exam, over 1.5 million scored below 200 out of 400, sparking concerns about the integrity of the examination process.
In response to these concerns, JAMB carried out a full internal review of the exam conduct and outcome. Adding pressure to the board’s internal review was a formal request from the law firm John Nwobodo & Associates, representing 1,534,654 candidates who scored below 200. The firm demanded the release of the actual UTME questions and answers, citing a possible malfunction or compromise in JAMB’s scoring software.
The firm’s petition highlighted the alarming rate of failure over 70% of candidates scoring below the national average and suggested potential software discrepancies.
Conclusion
Despite the outrage, Prof. Oloyede reaffirmed JAMB’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the examination process. He assured the public that measures are already underway to prevent a recurrence of such failures, including improved testing of software patches and stricter oversight of third-party service providers.
The Registrar expressed gratitude to stakeholders who supported JAMB through the crisis and assured the nation that the Board remains focused on restoring public trust through transparency and accountability.
“We will emerge stronger,” he concluded. “This is a learning moment and for those affected, a second chance.”
