JAMB Admitting To Technical Error Is A Commendable Act – Osita Chidoka

Former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, has asserted that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) admission of fault in its conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is a commendable act of public accountability.

Naijaonpoint reports that JAMB’s 2025 UTME results were released on May 9, and analysis indicated that more than 78 per cent of candidates scored less than 200 points out of the 400 maximum obtainable points.

The development spurred protests that questioned the overall integrity of the examination process.

However, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, admitted to errors in the results during a press briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday.

‘What should have been a moment of joy has changed due to one or two errors,” Oloyede admitted. “We set all machineries in order; regardless, there were still errors.”

He added, “206,610 in 65 centres were affected in Lagos and 92 centres in the Owerri zone comprising 173,387 candidates in the five states of the South East were affected.”

Oloyede, who took responsibility for what he described as a “sabotage” of the 2025 UTME, said the affected candidates will get text messages from the Board starting Thursday.

He also stated that affected candidates will now have the opportunity to retake the examination between May 16 and May 19, 2025.

Reacting to the development, Chidoka in a statement on Thursday, expressed support for the affected candidates, stressing that JAMB’s admission of fault is a demonstration of integrity and “a commendable act of public accountability”.

He added, “Unlike many other public agencies, JAMB did not resort to the all-too-familiar refrain of go to court.

“Instead, it acknowledged its shortcomings, invited critical stakeholders for dialogue, and subjected its internal processes to external review.”