The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has acknowledged its role in the widespread failure recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with its Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, tearfully accepting responsibility during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
Speaking amid visible emotion, Prof. Oloyede announced that a total of 379,997 candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME would be required to retake the exam.
The decision comes in the wake of numerous complaints from candidates and parents about technical malfunctions, low scores, and irregularities across several centres.
Prof. Oloyede, overwhelmed by emotion, was seen weeping profusely and repeatedly dabbing his face with a handkerchief as he took the blame for the situation.
“I take full responsibility for the negligence of our staff,” he stated, acknowledging the impact the failure has had on thousands of students.
The Registrar further disclosed that 65 centres in Lagos and 92 centres within the Owerri Zone, which covers the five states of the South East, are among those where affected candidates will retake the examination.
The UTME, which serves as the gateway for university admissions in Nigeria, has faced heavy criticism this year following reports of system errors and result inconsistencies, prompting this unprecedented move by the examination body.
