By Ghazali Ibrahim 
The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, broke down in tears on Wednesday as he publicly accepted responsibility for widespread technical failures and irregularities that marred the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Abuja, a visibly emotional Oloyede struggled to hold back tears as he announced that 173,387 candidates would be required to retake the examination due to massive disruptions experienced in several centres across the country.
“I take full responsibility for what happened,” he said, pausing frequently to wipe his eyes with a handkerchief.
“This is not the standard we promised the Nigerian people.”
The decision to allow the affected candidates a second chance followed a surge of complaints over unusually low scores, technical glitches, and alleged misconduct during the UTME, which is a key gateway for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Oloyede revealed that the rescheduled exam would affect 65 centres in Lagos State and 92 centres in the Owerri Zone, which covers all five South-East states.
“We have identified the centres where these lapses occurred, and the candidates will not suffer for our failures,” he said.
The JAMB boss, known for his firm stance on accountability and integrity in examinations, appeared overwhelmed by the scale of the failure.
His emotional reaction marked an unprecedented moment in the agency’s history.
“While we worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth process, there were clear cases of negligence by some staff, and we will not hide from that truth,” he said.
JAMB has not yet released the new date for the rescheduled exams, but Oloyede assured candidates and the general public that necessary reforms would be implemented to prevent future occurrences.
Stakeholders have praised the registrar for his candour and empathy, urging JAMB to swiftly rectify the issues and restore confidence in the examination system.
