The 2025 Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination (UTME) faced a significant setback due to a technical error affecting over 300,000 candidates across Nigeria, specifically in Lagos and the South-East regions.
The glitch, caused by a failed server update, led to widespread confusion, trauma, and logistical challenges for students, parents, and educational institutions. In response, JAMB admitted the fault, expressed regret, and announced a resit for affected candidates scheduled to begin on May 16, 2025, with plans for the exam to be completed by May 18.Parents and stakeholders have demanded that the resit be postponed to June 2025 to allow students to recover from the psychological stress, complete their ongoing WAEC exams, and travel safely to exam centers, especially since many centers are far from their homes.
They also highlighted the unfairness of forcing students to resit immediately, given their current academic and emotional burdens.
The National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) urged cooperation with JAMB to ensure the resit’s success, while the House of Representatives announced an investigation into the technical failure and called for the establishment of Computer-Based Test centres nationwide.
Public reactions praised JAMB’s transparency and accountability in admitting the error, with some emphasizing the need for appropriate remedies and compensation for affected students.
The National Orientation Agency and Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria also commended JAMB’s honesty but urged that accountability be enforced and that candidates’ rights, including religious rights such as wearing hijabs, be protected.Overall, while JAMB has taken responsibility and plans to reschedule the exams, stakeholders continue to call for measures to address the logistical, emotional, and fairness concerns arising from this incident.
PROF’LEE9JA ⛱️MEDIA
