In a dramatic turn of events, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, broke down in tears as he tendered an emotional apology over errors that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The fallout has prompted the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to reschedule exams for 379,997 candidates in Lagos and the South-East.
The heartfelt apology and bold admission of fault were made during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday. Oloyede confirmed that affected candidates would receive detailed notifications for their rescheduled exams this weekend.
“As Registrar of JAMB, I hold myself personally responsible… I unreservedly apologise for the trauma this has caused,” he said, visibly emotional.
According to JAMB, the issue stemmed from a technical fault in the LAG exam category, covering Lagos and South-East zones. Oloyede explained that updates made to shuffle exam options had glitches that went undetected during pre-exam simulations. These issues, compounded by server errors and failed updates from a service provider, led to widespread problems in exam delivery between Friday, April 25 and Monday, April 28.
Despite multiple attempts to patch the system, including weekend testing and overnight corrections, some server updates still failed—impacting over 206,000 candidates in Lagos and 173,000 in the South-East.
“This was not a case of sabotage or hacking,” Oloyede clarified. “It was a human error that we own up to.”
The apology comes amid growing criticism from educators, parents, and civil society groups. Over 1.5 million of the 1.9 million UTME candidates scored below 200, raising red flags about the exam’s credibility.
JAMB has confirmed that all affected candidates from 157 centres will be contacted via SMS, email, and phone calls. They are required to reprint their exam slips and prepare to retake the exam starting Friday, May 16, 2025.
The registrar emphasized that only one of the two JAMB service providers was responsible for the lapse. He described the incident as a serious blow to the board’s reputation but assured the public that steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence.
“I understand that ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘I’m sorry’ are powerful expressions. Today, I say all three,” he stated. “I take full responsibility, and I am truly sorry.”
Stakeholders, including legal representatives for affected students, have demanded transparency. A legal firm, John Nwobodo & Associates, has already submitted a formal request for the release of the 2025 UTME questions and answer scripts, citing concerns over widespread failure.
The 2025 UTME has thus become a turning point for JAMB, with the Registrar’s emotional apology standing as a rare act of accountability in Nigeria’s education system.
Stay tuned with Alayo Radio TV for more updates on education and national issues.