Former Provost of the College of Education, Ilesa, now University of Education, Ilesa, Osun State, Professor Kolawole Kola-Kazeem, has described the error by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as a clear case of human failure.
He demanded that those responsible for the error be held accountable to prevent a recurrence.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Professor Kola-Kazeem noted the emotional gravity of the situation and the need for systemic change.
“If you see a 70-year-old man cry on live television, that should speak volumes. That tells you the situation is beyond what he feels should be. That tells you how big the situation is.
“We should understand that whatever has happened is based on human error, and whoever is responsible for all of these infractions should be dealt with. One of the things we have here is that each time there are infractions, there are no consequences. Consequences must be given,” he stated.
READ ALSO: [UPDATED:] JAMB Registrar Fights Tears, Apologises For Errors In 2025 UTME
Professor Kazeem also highlighted the unjust impact on students, and said that necessary amendments should be made.
“Some children have been punished unnecessarily, unjustifiably. So we should find a way of ensuring that such things do not repeat themselves. We must support the Registrar to make all the necessary amendments so that this does not happen again,” he said.
Reduction Of Exam Process
Education and human resource expert, Yomi Fawehinmi, also criticised JAMB’s handling of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). He questioned the board’s decision to continue with the exams despite noticing technical issues and called for comprehensive reform of the university admissions process.
“These errors were not discovered because JAMB did enough self-introspection. If you read the press release by the Registrar, he said they noticed something went wrong while the examination was ongoing.
“I’m concerned that JAMB noticed something was not right and did not immediately stop the exam,” the expert noted.
Fawehinmi expressed concern about the pressure on Nigerian students, noting that the number of exams written to gain admission should be reduced.
He further suggested a narrowing of JAMB’s responsibilities, proposing that it focus solely on university admissions as originally intended in the 1978 decree.
“Nigerian students should not write three exams to gain admission. I don’t think we should have more than two. We should reduce the number of institutions that require JAMB for admission.
“Let JAMB focus on university admission. The focus would be more concentrated, and people would have alternatives if they don’t succeed with JAMB,” he added.
JAMB Admits Error
The ex-provost and an education expert made their comments shortly after JAMB admitted that technical glitches affected candidates’ performance in the 2025 UTME.
At a press briefing in Abuja, JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede apologised for the setback, calling it a “human error.” He confirmed that 379,997 affected candidates would retake the exam starting 16 May 2025.
The board stated that the glitch occurred in 157 of 887 centres and was the reason for the widespread low scores. Affected candidates will be contacted to reprint their exam slips.
JAMB’s data showed that over 78 per cent of the 1.95 million candidates scored below 200. Only 12,414 candidates scored 300 or more, and 983,187 scored between 160 and 199—the highest category.
Additionally, 40,247 underage candidates were allowed to sit the exam under “exceptional abilities,” but only 467 met the threshold.
The board also reported 97 confirmed cases of malpractice, with 2,157 more under investigation. Over 71,000 candidates were absent, while those facing biometric challenges are under review.
Source: Channels TV
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