House of Representatives to Investigate ‘Technical Error’ in 2025 UTME Results
The Nigerian House of Representatives has launched an investigation into a technical error that disrupted the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), affecting nearly 380,000 candidates.
This move follows widespread complaints about irregularities in the recently released exam results, sparking concerns over the integrity of the nation’s tertiary admission process.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) released the 2025 UTME results on May 9, 2025, revealing that over 78% of candidates scored below 200 out of a possible 400 points, a sharp drop compared to previous years.
This unexpected outcome triggered a wave of protests from candidates, parents, and educators, prompting lawmakers to intervene.
During Thursday’s plenary session, Hon. Adewale Adebayo from Osun State raised a motion of urgent public importance, calling for an immediate investigation into the reported technical errors. Adebayo argued that the issue, if left unaddressed, could undermine public confidence in the examination system and jeopardize the future of thousands of young Nigerians.
In response to the mounting backlash, JAMB admitted to a technical glitch that impacted 379,997 candidates across 157 centers in Lagos and the South-East. JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, explained that the problem stemmed from faulty server updates by one of the board’s technical service providers, which disrupted the upload of candidates’ responses during the first three days of the examination.
“This error, unfortunately, went undetected before the initial release of the results, leading to the widespread discrepancies now being reported,” Oloyede said.
To address the issue, JAMB announced that all affected candidates would have the opportunity to retake the examination between May 16 and May 19, 2025. The board also committed to working with IT experts and educational assessment professionals to identify the root cause of the glitch and implement measures to prevent future occurrences.
During the House session, lawmakers commended Prof. Oloyede for his transparency in admitting the error and taking responsibility.
However, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas emphasized that it would be up to the investigating committee to decide whether to officially commend the JAMB Registrar for his handling of the crisis.
In addition to probing the technical error, the House urged the Federal Government to establish Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers in all 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the country. Lawmakers argued that this would reduce the pressure on existing centers and improve the overall efficiency of the examination process.
The House also called on JAMB to release the results of candidates under 16 years old, which had been previously withheld, as part of a broader effort to ensure fairness and transparency in the nation’s education system.
As the investigation progresses, stakeholders across the education sector will be closely monitoring the findings and recommendations of the House committee. The outcome of this probe is expected to shape future reforms aimed at enhancing the credibility and reliability of Nigeria’s tertiary entrance examinations.
