UTME Glitches Spark Outrage as Obi, Ezekwesili Raise Alarm Over Impact on Students and Families...A wave of concern has swept across Nigeria following widespread technical glitches that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), drawing strong reactions from prominent figures including former presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili, and former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Osita Chidoka.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which oversees the annual UTME, acknowledged the occurrence of serious technical failures during the examination period. The glitches, traced to one of JAMB’s service providers, reportedly distorted the results of nearly 380,000 candidates across 157 examination centers in Lagos and Owerri. While JAMB claimed it has launched internal investigations and is working on rectifying the anomalies, the situation has left thousands of students and their families distressed, questioning the credibility and reliability of the examination system.
Oby Ezekwesili, a long-time advocate for educational reform, commended JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede for publicly admitting the errors but maintained that admission alone was not enough. She called for an independent forensic investigation to uncover the root cause of the breakdown. According to her, transparency and accountability are necessary if Nigeria hopes to preserve the integrity of its educational institutions. She further stated that the present crisis presents an opportunity to revisit the broader issues plaguing the system, particularly the need for reforms in public service delivery.
Ezekwesili did not stop there. She used the opportunity to urge Nigerian politicians to take the lead in restoring public trust by verifying and publicly presenting their own academic credentials. By doing so, she argued, public officials could help restore integrity and confidence in a system that appears increasingly compromised.
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Echoing similar concerns, Peter Obi described the glitches as symptomatic of deeper institutional problems within the Nigerian educational structure. In a strongly worded statement, he expressed dismay that a country with so many young, bright minds continues to struggle with the administration of a single standardized test. Obi insisted that such lapses should not be tolerated under any circumstances, especially by government agencies responsible for shaping the future of the nation’s youth.
Parents and candidates have also voiced their frustrations. Many students were reportedly unable to log into examination systems due to widespread server failures and insufficient functional computers at test centers. Others complained of being forced to wait for hours in poor conditions, only to be told their exams had been postponed or canceled. The aftermath has been disheartening for many families who invested time, money, and emotional support into preparing their children for what is often seen as a defining academic hurdle.
Despite these disruptions, JAMB proceeded to release the results of the 2025 UTME. However, the outcome has only fueled further dissatisfaction. A significant 77% of candidates scored below 200 out of a possible 400, prompting speculation that the technical errors may have influenced performance. Critics argue that releasing the results without first resolving the issues may only deepen mistrust and erode the confidence of future candidates in the examination system.
Osita Chidoka, in his reaction, emphasized that technology, while essential, should not be adopted without sufficient infrastructure and oversight. He called for a comprehensive review of how digital platforms are deployed in Nigeria’s education sector, warning that poor implementation could lead to long-term damage, not only to the credibility of public institutions but also to the aspirations of countless young Nigerians.
As the dust settles, the incident has reignited calls for urgent and far-reaching reforms within JAMB and the broader educational ecosystem. Stakeholders, including civil society groups and educators, continue to demand that students affected by the glitches be given a fair chance through a supplementary exam or some other remedial measure. For now, the episode serves as a sobering reminder of the cost of institutional failure—and the pressing need for reform.
