The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Nigeria’s central examination body for tertiary admissions, has faced a series of controversies and credibility crises in recent years. From technical errors to financial mismanagement and illegal admissions, the board’s operations have come under intense public scrutiny.
Below is an updated overview of these issues, incorporating recent developments:
1. JAMB Admits to Technical Errors in 2025 UTME
On May 14, 2025, JAMB officially admitted to technical errors that disrupted the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for several candidates. The board announced rescheduling for genuinely affected individuals. This admission followed a viral complaint by candidate Olawanle Timileyin, who claimed he missed his CBT exam due to a system failure and was told to wait till 2026. JAMB swiftly responded by promising remedial actions.
2. Budget Exclusion Over Alleged Financial Misconduct
In a sharp rebuke, the National Assembly excluded JAMB from the 2025 budget grant, citing questionable spending. Lawmakers flagged suspicious figures including ₦1.1 billion on refreshments, ₦850 million on security and cleaning, and ₦600 million on local travel in 2024. With candidates largely funding JAMB through registration fees, this triggered outrage over the board’s accountability.
3. Illegal Admissions by Tertiary Institutions
JAMB recently named several universities — including UNN, UNIABUJA, and NOUN — for bypassing its Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). The board declared such admissions null and void, warning against systemic abuse despite previous waivers.
4. Fake A-Level Result Crisis
A surge in forged A-Level results submitted for Direct Entry registration has rattled JAMB. In 2024, 1,665 fake credentials were uncovered. Bayero University Kano even expelled 178 students between 2019 and 2021 for using fake JAMB results, spotlighting rampant credential fraud.
5. Underage Registration Concerns
As of February 2025, nearly 5,000 candidates below the age of 16 had registered for the UTME — raising ethical questions. JAMB warned parents and schools against pushing minors into the exam process prematurely, citing legal and developmental concerns.
6. Admission Controversies Despite High Scores
Reports emerged in early 2025 alleging that candidates with high UTME scores were denied admission. JAMB responded by clarifying that its admission process weighs UTME performance alongside O’level results and post-UTME screening — not just raw scores.
7. Sanctions on CBT Centres for Data Tampering
JAMB sanctioned 132 CBT centres in 2025 over mismatched candidate data and violations during UTME registration. Out of 2 million registered candidates, about 200 cases involved serious discrepancies — prompting a clampdown to protect exam integrity.
8. Withheld Results and Cybersecurity Warnings
JAMB recently released an additional 36,540 UTME results initially withheld for review, bringing the total released to 1.87 million. Over 26,000 results remain under investigation. Meanwhile, the board warned against fake printed result slips and urged candidates to use official channels only.
Final Thoughts
JAMB’s recent years have been marred by high-profile errors, administrative lapses, and credibility battles. While efforts to reform are ongoing, the examination body stands at a critical crossroads — needing not just policy overhauls but also public trust to remain Nigeria’s gatekeeper for higher education.
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