Server Glitch Shatters UTME Dreams: JAMB Admits Error, 380,000 Candidates to Resit Exams
A devastating technical oversight and human error have forced Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to invalidate the 2025 UTME results of 379,997 candidates across Lagos and the South-East, sparking public outrage, calls for resignation, and growing demand for accountability.
At an emergency technical review on Wednesday at JAMB’s Abuja headquarters, Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede broke down in tears as he addressed the fallout from the mishap, admitting that the problem stemmed from the incomplete deployment of a critical server update—a mistake that severely distorted results for nearly 400,000 candidates in 157 exam centres.
“This incident was neither a system failure nor administrative manipulation, but an outright human error,” the board declared.
According to the report presented, JAMB’s server patch—which supported new innovations in the 2025 exam—was correctly implemented in the Kaduna (KAD) server cluster but not deployed to the Lagos (LAG) cluster, which services Lagos and the entire South-East. The result: a massive answer validation mismatch that rendered scores invalid.
A collaborative review with Educare Technical Team, JAMB’s independent IT partner, revealed that over 14,000 logs from affected centres displayed severe inconsistencies, with audit trails confirming systemic malfunction—not student failure.
The fallout is massive:
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65 centres (206,610 candidates) affected in Lagos
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92 centres (173,387 candidates) affected in the South-East
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379,997 total candidates to resit the UTME, starting Friday, May 16
The registrar stated affected students will receive SMS notifications to their registered numbers. He took full responsibility, stating:
“Please. Thank you. I am sorry. These are not just words—I accept full responsibility.”
Public Reactions: Resignation Calls Mount
Despite Oloyede’s emotional apology, pressure is building. On social media, Nigerians are calling for his resignation:
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@jacobsule: “Oloyede should step aside immediately for an independent investigation.”
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@MrGatsby: “Oloyede should please resign. This is disgraceful.”
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@abolajijnr: “Someone has died over this. He should be in jail already.”
Parents Demand Clarity on Withheld Results
The scandal deepened as parents of under-16 candidates decried JAMB’s refusal to release their children’s results.
“Why traumatize these children? They wrote the exams, let them see their scores!” cried Mrs. Abiodun Ashimolowo.
The Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (PTA) praised JAMB’s transparency but demanded a full list of affected candidates and more clarity on the exact technical failures.
“Were these computer bugs or personnel errors? We want full transparency,” said PTA President Danjuma Haruka.
As nearly 400,000 students prepare to retake one of Nigeria’s most critical exams, the credibility of JAMB hangs in the balance. While Oloyede’s emotional apology has earned some praise for transparency, others insist only full accountability and reform will restore trust in the system.