The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is set to release the results of the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for approximately 379,000 candidates on Wednesday. This resit was organized after significant technical and human errors marred the initial UTME, especially in Lagos and the South-East regions, leading to widespread complaints and concerns about the exam’s credibility.
The makeup exam took place between Friday and Monday, following the acknowledgment by JAMB of lapses in its system. Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the board’s Registrar, took responsibility for the disruptions, describing the incidents as acts of “sabotage” and even becoming emotional during the announcement of the resit. According to Oloyede, about 206,610 candidates across 65 centres in Lagos and 173,387 candidates in 92 centres in the South-East were affected.
This year’s UTME saw over 1.9 million candidates sit for the exam, but more than 1.5 million scored below 200 out of 400 marks, raising concerns about the fairness of the exercise. The detailed breakdown revealed only a small fraction of candidates scored above 300 marks, highlighting the scale of the mass failure.
JAMB spokesperson Dr. Fabian Benjamin confirmed the results of the makeup exam would be released on Wednesday, allowing affected candidates to check their scores. JAMB began sending text messages to the affected candidates last Thursday, informing them of the new exam schedule.
