By Milcah Tanimu
During a press briefing in Bwari, Abuja, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, provided insights into why the examination body opted not to announce the names of the highest-scoring candidates in the recently concluded 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Oloyede cited several reasons for this decision, including the desire to prevent a recurrence of past controversies, such as the Mmesoma Ejikeme saga from 2023. In that incident, a UTME candidate claimed an exceptionally high score, which led to complications and scrutiny from JAMB.
Emphasizing that the UTME is primarily a ranking examination, Oloyede highlighted the complexity of determining the highest scorers, especially considering the various parameters used by different institutions in their admission processes. He explained that admission to tertiary institutions depends on multiple factors beyond just UTME scores.
Despite the public’s interest in knowing the top scorers, Oloyede stressed the importance of verifying claims made by candidates, citing the potential for discrepancies between high scores and actual admissions. He encouraged caution in offering awards or recognition based solely on UTME scores.
With over 1.94 million candidates participating in this year’s UTME, Oloyede revealed that 77 percent scored below 200, underscoring the need for a nuanced approach to understanding examination outcomes and admissions criteria.
