The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday released the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), revealing a widespread drop in performance. Of the 1.9 million candidates whose results were released, over 1.5 million—more than 75%—scored below 200 out of a total of 400.
The UTME assesses candidates in four subjects, each graded over 100 marks. A breakdown of the results showed that:
- 983,187 candidates (50.29%) scored between 160 and 199
- 488,197 candidates (24.97%) scored between 140 and 159
- 57,419 candidates (2.94%) scored between 120 and 139
In stark contrast, only 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 and above, while just 7,658 (0.39%) fell within the 300–319 range. Altogether, only 12,414 candidates (0.63%) scored 300 or higher.
A further 73,441 candidates (3.76%) scored between 250 and 299, and 334,560 (17.11%) scored between 200 and 249—considered the minimum range for competitive university admissions in Nigeria.
JAMB also disclosed that 40,247 underage candidates sat for the UTME under a special “exceptional ability” category. Of these, just 467 (1.16%) met the benchmark for high performance. The board noted that further assessments are ongoing for these candidates.
Beyond academic outcomes, JAMB reported several operational issues. At least 97 candidates were caught in acts of malpractice, and 2,157 others are currently under investigation. Biometric verification problems affected some candidates, who are expected to be rescheduled. Additionally, 71,701 registered candidates failed to appear for the exam, with no explanations yet provided.
The results have reignited public debate about the state of Nigeria’s education system, with critics pointing fingers at multiple stakeholders.
Medical commentator @OurFavOnlineDoc criticized both JAMB and the government, writing:
“Over 75% of the students who took this exam failed it. This is a shame on JAMB and the government. Setting exams for 6:30am is unsafe and unrealistic—no surprise the failure rate is this high.”
Education advocate Dipo Awojide linked the poor results to declining academic discipline and the influence of toxic ideologies:
“A generation that spends hours on TikTok and hears ‘school na scam’ from older youth won’t excel. This is a wake-up call.”
Another user, @UgwunnaEjikem, lamented what he described as a shift in youth priorities:
“Young people are increasingly turning to gangsterism, drugs, and fraud instead of education or skills. There is fire on the mountain.”
The Online JAMB Class Academy supported JAMB’s data, confirming the poor performance among underage candidates and highlighting technical issues that affected result processing. A press conference is expected later in the week to provide further clarification and updates on withheld results, including those of visually impaired and special-category candidates.
Public reactions continued across social media. @Sportify wrote,
“Mass failure for 1.5 million students, and everyone’s blaming Gen Z. But look around—economic hardship, failed systems. Who’s really at fault?”
Another user, @Abimbola, remarked,
“Many of these kids aren’t academically prepared. They idolize entertainers, not scholars. Society has failed them.”
@LightSkinMania added,
“Given the conditions of Nigerian schools and the poor treatment of teachers, it’s surprising the failure rate isn’t 90%. The illusion of a functional education system is crumbling.”
As conversations continue, the 2025 UTME results have deepened concerns about the readiness of Nigerian students and the urgent need for systemic reform in the country’s education sector.
