My Initial Response To The 2025 UTME Error Was To Resign — Oloyede

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has revealed that he briefly contemplated resigning following a major technical fault that disrupted the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The results of the exam, released on May 9, showed that over 78% of candidates scored below 200 out of a maximum of 400, prompting widespread criticism and public outcry over the examination process.

In response, JAMB initiated an internal review, which uncovered that a flawed server update from one of its technical service providers had caused a failure to upload candidates’ responses during the first three days of the exam. The issue, which impacted 379,997 candidates across 157 centres in Lagos and the South-East, was not discovered until after the results were published.

To rectify the error, JAMB organized a resit examination, which began on May 16 and continued beyond May 19.

Addressing the controversy during a meeting with chief external examiners, civil society organizations, and stakeholders in the tertiary education sector on Wednesday in Abuja, Oloyede admitted the severity of the error and how it personally affected him.

“When it happened, my first reaction was to resign. But people advised me that the students will never forgive me because it will look like you abandoned them at such a time,” he said.

The registrar also responded to allegations of ethnic bias and sabotage, maintaining that the fault was entirely technical and not deliberate. His decision to stay in office, he explained, was guided by concern for the affected candidates and the need for leadership in a moment of crisis.

Oloyede’s remarks come amid intense scrutiny of JAMB’s operations and increasing calls for transparency and reform in the country’s standardized testing system.