JAMB APOLOGIZES OVER UTME RESULT GLITCHES, ORDERS RETAKE FOR 2025 CANDIDATES IN 157 AFFECTED CENTRES

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, has issued a public apology and confirmed that technical errors affected the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results of candidates in 157 centres across Lagos and South-East states. The affected candidates are now scheduled to retake the examination beginning Friday, May 16, 2025.

Speaking at a press conference held at JAMB’s national headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Prof. Oloyede described the development as a “painful error” stemming from a patch update failure by one of JAMB’s two technical service providers. The glitch, he explained, disrupted the accurate uploading of candidates’ responses at 65 centres in Lagos and 92 centres in the Owerri zone (covering South-East states).

He expressed deep regret that what was initially considered JAMB’s most seamless UTME exercise in recent years was marred by what he termed an “avoidable oversight.” Despite rigorous quality assurance mechanisms, including multiple layers of software testing and simulations, the technical hiccup still occurred. “This incident is a classical example of the saying: ‘Man proposes, but God disposes,’” Oloyede said.

The Registrar also admitted that early complaints from candidates and stakeholders, widely circulated in the media, prompted the Board to conduct an immediate review of its systems—a process originally scheduled for June. A special team of experts, including psychometricians, ICT professionals, and education stakeholders, was convened to audit the examination data and isolate the problem.

“Upon identifying the affected centres, we swiftly decided that those candidates would retake their examinations,” he said. Affected candidates will receive new exam details via SMS, email, and official JAMB communication channels. The Board confirmed it had liaised with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to ensure there are no scheduling conflicts for candidates also sitting for the ongoing Senior School Certificate Examination.

Prof. Oloyede accepted full responsibility for the error, describing it as a personal and institutional setback. “As Registrar of JAMB, I hold myself personally responsible for this lapse, including the negligence of the service provider,” he stated. “We remain committed to fairness, transparency, and accountability.”

He reaffirmed the integrity of the Board’s internal systems and praised the majority of JAMB’s technical partners, saying only one provider was responsible for the error. He also debunked rumors of sabotage or deliberate score manipulation.

The Registrar extended gratitude to the Honourable Minister of Education, stakeholders, and critics alike for their support and scrutiny. He urged affected candidates and the public to accept the Board’s apology and assured them of corrective actions. “Please, thank you, and I am sorry—these are three of the most powerful phrases we can use, and I use them today,” Oloyede said in closing.

The 2025 UTME had earlier been celebrated for recording some of the highest scores in over a decade, with top scorers achieving marks as high as 374. However, public outcry over low scores among candidates in Lagos and South-East zones led to widespread concern and prompted the swift review that uncovered the glitch.

The upcoming retake marks an unprecedented move by JAMB and is being closely watched by education stakeholders nationwide.