Learning from Setbacks: Reflections on the 2025 JAMB Examination | By Alli Egbesola
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is tasked with a critical responsibility: to conduct examinations that determine candidates’ eligibility for admission into Nigeria’s higher institutions, whether colleges, monotechnics, polytechnics, or universities.
As an organisation, JAMB is expected to uphold the highest standards of fairness, transparency, and efficiency, in line with its mission:”To accurately measure candidates’ abilities and determine their suitability for tertiary education.”
The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) brought with it a series of challenges and peculiarities. From the outset, I closely followed developments as JAMB released the examination timetable, which revealed that some candidates were scheduled to write their exams as early as 7:00 a.m., with a mandatory arrival time of 6:00 a.m. Unfortunately, several centres experienced technical hitches, including poor network connectivity, resulting in the rescheduling of exams for affected candidates.
When the results were eventually released, they painted a concerning picture: a significant number of candidates failed to meet the benchmark, with those scoring 200 and above constituting less than 50% of the total participants. As an academic, I believe this outcome was the result of multiple factors, including shortcomings on the part of both the examining body and the candidates themselves.
While many students may not have adequately prepared, JAMB also acknowledged its share of the problem, citing a network glitch that disrupted the examination process for 379,997 candidates across 157 centres in Lagos and the South-East.
In acknowledging these issues, special commendation must be given to the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, for his openness and accountability. It takes integrity and a deep sense of responsibility to publicly admit institutional shortcomings. However, even with this transparency, the broader issue of mass failure cannot be overlooked.
As the affected candidates prepare for the rescheduled examinations, it is imperative that JAMB ensures all necessary measures are in place to prevent a recurrence of past errors. Likewise, students must also rise to the occasion and take the opportunity to better prepare themselves for the task ahead.
Till the new examination results are out again , I am reminded of the words of Serena Williams, the legendary American tennis player, who once said, “I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.” This sentiment rings true for both the candidates and the examining body. True excellence is not merely about avoiding mistakes but about how we respond, learn, and grow from them.
