The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was marred by significant errors, leading to widespread concern and calls for accountability. The examination, crucial for Nigerian students seeking admission into tertiary institutions, experienced glitches that affected the results of a substantial number of candidates.

Initially, concerns arose when a large percentage of candidates scored poorly, prompting protests and questions about the integrity of the examination process. JAMB subsequently acknowledged a major "technical error" that impacted 379,997 candidates across 157 centers, particularly in Lagos and the South-East zones. According to JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the discrepancies were linked to faulty server updates, which resulted in the failure to upload candidates’ responses during the initial days of the examination. This issue, reportedly caused by a technical service provider, went undetected before the results were released.

As a result, JAMB announced that affected candidates would be rescheduled to retake the examination. This decision, however, sparked mixed reactions among the public. Amid the controversy, education advocate Alex Onyia shared updates indicating that candidates who participated in the resit examination could begin checking their results by Thursday. Onyia also mentioned his involvement in the result review process, which led to the discovery of the initial errors.

The House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies, led by Chairman Oboku Oforji, conducted a preliminary investigation into the matter. Their findings attributed the crisis to human error rather than technical failure, contradicting JAMB's initial claims. Oforji emphasized that the errors were avoidable and stemmed from negligence on the part of JAMB. Despite acknowledging Professor Oloyede's courage in accepting the fault and apologizing, the committee called for an independent and thorough investigation and proposed reforms to the board.

In response to the situation, the South-East Caucus in the House of Representatives demanded the resignation of Professor Oloyede and called for the cancellation of the 2025 UTME, advocating for a fresh examination. Similarly, the South-East Senate Caucus condemned the glitches, attributing them to potential regional bias and hateful politics, while urging for assurances that such errors would not recur.

Meanwhile, candidates who participated in the rescheduled exams shared their experiences, with some reporting a smoother process and simpler questions compared to the initial examination. JAMB's spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, announced that the results of the rescheduled exams would be released on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.