Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has attributed the mass failure in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations to the effectiveness of the government’s anti-malpractice measures. He argues that the high failure rate reflects the success of efforts to curb examination malpractices, asserting that dedicated students are disincentivized by those who resort to dishonest practices to pass their exams.
Alausa stated, “People cheat through the secondary school exam system, WAEC and NECO, and then they go to do JAMB, where they cannot cheat. And that’s the reflection of what we are seeing today. It’s bad.” He emphasized the need for zero tolerance toward examination malpractice, claiming that the ongoing situation compromises the integrity of genuine study.
In stark contrast, the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, expressed deep concern over the mass failure of candidates in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Oloyede, visibly emotional during a press conference, acknowledged that technical glitches impacted candidates’ performance, citing widespread complaints from students and parents about poor results. He revealed that a failure by a service provider to properly implement a necessary software patch led to disruptions in the upload of candidates’ responses, particularly in 157 examination centers across Lagos and Owerri.
The disconnect between the Minister of Education and the JAMB Registrar raises critical questions. What does Alausa mean when he claims that the mass failure is a sign that anti-malpractice measures are effective? Is he celebrating a failure that has left many students without hope? The lack of communication between the Education Minister and the JAMB Registrar prior to Alausa’s press statement reflects a significant oversight on the part of the Minister, who is expected to oversee the education sector effectively.
Oloyede noted, “The service provider did not properly apply the patch to some center servers in these centers. That failure disrupted the upload of the candidates’ responses within the first three or four days, as applicable to Lagos and Owerri zones.” Meanwhile, Alausa maintained that the high failure rate indicates that anti-malpractice measures are yielding results, despite the evident technical failures that marred the examination.
The statistics are alarming: of the 1.9 million candidates who sat for the UTME, over 1.5 million scored below 200 out of a maximum of 400. Only 0.24 percent of candidates achieved scores of 320 and above, while a staggering 50.29 percent scored between 160 and 199, which is often seen as the minimum threshold for admission into many institutions. The significant drop in performance has sparked widespread concern among students, parents, and educators.
This situation highlights a troubling disconnect between the Minister of Education and the various bodies under his supervision.
In a related development, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), specifically the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) branch, has threatened legal action against JAMB over the massive failure recorded in the 2025 UTME. ASUU-UNN Chairman Comrade Óyibo Eze expressed that the high failure rate, particularly among candidates from the South East, appears to be a deliberate attempt to hinder their admission prospects. Eze stated, “My office has been inundated with protests, calls, and visits by parents and the general public on this deliberate massive failure in the 2025 JAMB examination.”
Alausa reiterated the need for technology to combat examination fraud, condemning the existence of “miracle centers” that facilitate cheating. He warned that such malpractice undermines academic integrity and disincentivizes diligent students. “If I’m preparing for WAEC or NECO and I know some classmates already have access to the questions, do you think I’ll still study hard? No, I’ll be tempted to join them. That’s how good students are corrupted, and that’s exactly what we must stop,” Alausa said.
The stark contrast between the Minister’s celebratory remarks and the JAMB Registrar’s emotional response to the mass failure indicates a significant gap in understanding the realities of the education system. The Minister’s apparent preoccupation with political aspirations—rumored endorsements for the Lagos State governorship—further suggests a detachment from the pressing issues within the ministry.
The embarrassment that led the JAMB Registrar to shed tears stands in stark contrast to the Minister’s misguided interpretation of technical glitches as a sign of the effectiveness of anti-examination fraud measures. It is evident that Dr. Alausa’s focus is misaligned with the responsibilities of his office.
Given this disconnect, it may be time for the President to reassess the leadership of the Ministry of Education, as the current Minister appears to be out of touch with the realities facing Nigeria’s education sector.
Usman Okai Austin
Public Affairs Analyst,
writes from Abuja .
austinokai@yahoo.com
