…Says 157 Centres Affected in South-East, Lagos

…Urges JAMB to Release Anonymized Candidate-Level Data for Public Scrutiny

By Gift Chapi Odekina, Abuja

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, has called for sweeping reforms and an independent audit of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) following a major technical failure that disrupted the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), affecting nearly 380,000 candidates.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, Kalu described the incident as a “preventable human error” that impacted candidates across 157 centres in the South-East and Lagos, leading to misrepresented scores, psychological trauma, and at least one reported suicide.

“I address you today at a moment of both deep concern and urgent responsibility. The events surrounding the 2025 UTME have shaken public confidence in one of our nation’s most critical gateways to opportunity. The mass outcry that followed the release of this year’s results, and the subsequent technical review, demands not only transparency but decisive action to restore faith in our educational system,” Kalu stated.

He emphasized that the error was not a failure of students or a deliberate act of sabotage but a “systemic lapse with grave consequences.” According to findings, the technical error stemmed from the non-deployment of a crucial system patch to server clusters in the affected regions. This patch was vital for implementing new 2025 exam protocols, including source-based answer validation and shuffled question formats to prevent cheating.

While the Kaduna zone received the full system upgrade, the Lagos server cluster, which services the affected areas, continued operating outdated software through 17 examination sessions before the flaw was identified and corrected. JAMB has since offered retake opportunities for affected candidates and issued a public apology.

Kalu commended JAMB’s swift response and the accountability demonstrated by Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede but insisted that more substantial measures were necessary.

“These measures, while necessary, do not erase the trauma, disruption, and uncertainty experienced by our young people and their families,” he said. He also expressed condolences to the family of a candidate who reportedly took his own life due to the results of the technical glitch.

He outlined a five-point action plan to address the crisis and prevent future occurrences:

Independent Assessment: JAMB must triangulate internal findings with independent data from educational technology firms to fully assess the scope of the error.

External Audit: An external, transparent audit of JAMB’s examination infrastructure is necessary, involving engineers and academic experts.

Appeal and Remarking Process: Affected students should be allowed to appeal or request remarking, and exam bodies must coordinate to avoid further disruptions to their academic progress.

Data Transparency: JAMB should release anonymized candidate-level data for public scrutiny and permit Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to build trust.

Deployment Validation: Real-time deployment validation and monitoring protocols must be institutionalized to prevent similar breakdowns in future exams.

The Deputy Speaker reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to oversight and reform, pledging legislative support to strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s examination systems.

“To the affected candidates: your frustration is valid, and your voices have been heard,” Kalu concluded. “Let this painful episode be a turning point. Our young people deserve an education system worthy of their trust.”