JAMB Notifies Candidates of New UTME Dates, Venues After Exam Glitches

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will begin administering the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) today for students whose initial attempts were affected by both technical and human-related issues.

The Nation reports that the examination body sent out notifications yesterday to candidates eligible to retake the disrupted UTME.

Candidates residing in Lagos, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Abia have started getting SMS alerts indicating the new dates, venues, and times for their rescheduled UTME.

A total of 379,997 candidates are scheduled to sit for this rescheduled test after glitches negatively impacted the original exam sessions.

Based on the text messages from JAMB, the rescheduled exams are to be held today, tomorrow, and on Monday.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday about the disruptions, JAMB Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede admitted that the errors were caused by a mixture of human mistakes and technical faults.

The board made it clear that there was no element of sabotage and gave assurances that corrective actions were underway to ensure the retake process proceeds without issues.

In response to JAMB’s handling of the situation, several well-known Nigerians and organisations have expressed admiration for Prof. Oloyede’s honesty and proactive approach to resolving the issue.

Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, commended Oloyede for openly admitting the technical difficulties that affected the examination.

In a statement released yesterday, Obi called the registrar’s admission of the fault and his display of regret “a rare but commendable display of accountability” in Nigeria’s public institution.

He also praised JAMB for its quick reaction to the situation and emphasized the importance of institutional reforms and stronger preventive systems to avoid future occurrences.

Similarly, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) gave kudos to JAMB for acknowledging its errors during the 2025 UTME.

In a statement from Abuja released yesterday, the agency commended JAMB’s handling of the situation, describing it as a demonstration of “exceptional transparency and accountability” in addressing the post-exam issues.

The JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) also expressed its full support for Prof. Oloyede over the recent exam problems.

In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the group’s Chairman, Emeritus Professor Peter Okebukola, JEOG applauded the Registrar for his “candour, courage, and transparency” in addressing public concerns and clearly explaining the technical issues at certain exam centres.

The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) also praised Oloyede for owning up to the technical mishap that disrupted this year’s UTME.

Reacting to the matter, UNILORIN’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole (SAN), stated: “Only a conscientious, sincere, and courageous leader with genuine compassion for the welfare of the people he serves could openly take responsibility for an incident surrounding the service delivery of an organisation he heads but which glitch was not due to his personal negligence.”

The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) also showed empathy toward the affected students.

Responding to the incident yesterday in Abuja, COEASU President, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, stated: “…The recent errors highlight the limitations of technology and the need for diligence and care in its deployment.”