By Abdulkareem Haruna

The recent saga surrounding Nigeria’s Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and its 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results has triggered a multi-layered reflection on the complexities of national digital infrastructure, public trust, and the unending battle against examination malpractice.

What began as a public outcry over unusually low scores, which was  initially dismissed by authorities, quickly unraveled into an admission of a “technical glitch” affecting hundreds of thousands of applicants for admission into the Nigeria universities.

The initial release of results on May 9, showing over 70 percent of nearly two million candidates scoring below the crucial 200-mark threshold, sent shockwaves through Nigeria. This was not merely an academic statistic; it was a deeply personal blow to millions of young people whose futures hinge on these scores. The torrent of complaints — from software malfunctions to power outages and even incorrect profiles – coupled with the tragic report of a candidate’s suicide, painted a picture of systemic failure that JAMB initially struggled to acknowledge.

JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede’s initial defense, attributing the poor performance to a successful clampdown on cheating, underscored a common institutional reflex: prioritizing the system’s integrity over initial, anecdotal evidence of widespread failure. This stance, however, crumbled under the sheer weight of public frustration and organized advocacy. The rapid and intense pushback, particularly amplified through social media and petitions,had proven that collective digital voices can compel accountability, even from entrenched government bodies.

Just five days after the initial results, on May 14, Professor Oloyede offered a visibly emotional apology, admitting to a “technical glitch” that compromised the results of nearly 380,000 candidates across 157 centers. The culprit, a faulty software patch for question and answer shuffling, was not correctly applied to all delivery servers. This technical misstep, seemingly minor in its conception, had cataclysmic implications, leading to “system mismatches” and severely impacting the lives and aspirations of thousands of students.

The swift decision to mandate a resit for affected candidates, which began on May 16 and saw results released by May 25, was a crucial step towards remediation. It was an acknowledgment that beyond the raw scores, the fundamental principle of fairness had been compromised.

Yet, as JAMB delved deeper into the root causes, the narrative expanded beyond a mere software bug. The forensic audit unearthed a far more insidious and deeply entrenched problem: pervasive examination malpractice. Evidence of collusion between exam centers and school proprietors to hack networks, “mercenary candidates” engaging in illicit test-taking, identity fraud, and doctored registration photos painted a grim picture of a shadow industry dedicated to subverting the examination process. While the “glitch” was a technical failure, the subsequent revelations exposed a moral and ethical crisis within parts of Nigeria’s educational ecosystem.

JAMB’s measures – including the resit, the forensic audit, blacklisting culpable CBT centers, and calls for stricter regulation of tutorial centers – are vital. They reflect an understanding that the integrity of the UTME is not just about technology, but also about the human element, both in its failures and its deliberate deceptions.

The JAMB glitch saga offers several critical lessons for Nigeria and other developing nations striving for digital transformation in critical sectors:
* The Imperative of Robust Digital Infrastructure and Rigorous Testing: Any large-scale digital deployment, especially for high-stakes processes like national examinations, demands obsessive attention to detail, comprehensive testing, and redundancy. A single faulty patch, if not meticulously verified across all operational environments, can trigger widespread chaos and undermine public trust.
* Transparency and Accountability as Cornerstones of Public Trust: Initial denials, no matter how well-intentioned, can swiftly erode public confidence. JAMB’s ultimate admission of error and commitment to rectification, while late for some, was a necessary step towards rebuilding credibility. Institutions must cultivate a culture of transparency and proactive accountability when systems fail.
* The Pervasiveness of Malpractice and the Need for Multi-Faceted Solutions: The ease with which criminal elements exploit digital vulnerabilities highlights that technological solutions alone are insufficient. Combating examination malpractice requires a holistic strategy encompassing advanced cybersecurity, stringent oversight of physical centers, aggressive investigation and prosecution of offenders, and perhaps, a broader societal re-evaluation of ethical conduct.
* Addressing the Human Cost: The emotional and psychological toll on students, tragically exemplified by the reported suicide, underscores the immense pressure inherent in such high-stakes exams. Beyond technical fixes, there’s a need for robust support systems and clearer communication channels to mitigate distress during periods of uncertainty.

The JAMB glitch saga is more than just a story of a software error; it’s a confirmation of the fragile ecosystem of digital trust, the enduring struggle for integrity in a highly competitive environment, and the profound impact of systemic failures on the lives and futures of a nation’s youth. As Nigeria continues its digital evolution, the lessons learned from this challenging episode will be critical in building more resilient, equitable, and trustworthy systems for the future. Professor Oloyede cannot be crucified over the catastrophic system glitch because he still remains one of the best things that has ever happened to JAMB and Nigeria’s quest for a credible process of securing admissions into our tertiary institutions.

– Haruna, is a Nigerian journalist who writes from Maiduguri, Borno state