21,082 Candidate Declared Absent As JAMB Releases UTME Resit Results, Announces Waivers Amid Widespread Exam Malpractices 

By: Olufemi Orunsola 

No fewer than 21,082 candidates out of 336,845 slated for rescheduled UTME 2025 have been declared absent by the body as the results for the resit examination got released amid detection of widespread malpractices.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News recalls that the results from JAMB’s original 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination were released on May 9, greeted with wild public outrage and criticisms as they were marred with mass failure reportedly occasioned by technical glitch.

Earlier, an analysis showed that more than 78 per cent candidates scored less than 200 points out of the 400 maximum obtainable points.

OTN News further recalls that the JAMB Registrar, Prof.Ishaq Oloyede, on May 14, tendered a public apology for the technical hitch that reportedly caused the mass failure after the body had reviewed the situation.

He admitted that the results of 379,997 candidates spread across 157 centres, mostly in Lagos and the South East were affected.

Prof. Oloyede subsequently announced a resit examination date for the affected candidates to hold between May 16 and May 19, 2025.

However, according to a statement from JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Fabian Benjamin, 

the resit examination saw 336,845 candidates scheduled, with 21,082 reported absent.

He further revealed that the Board emphasized that despite recent challenges, performance analysis remains consistent with previous years, with about 29.3% scoring 200 and above, and a significant 70.7% scoring below 200 marks.

Following extensive deliberations with its Chief External Examiners (CEEs) nationwide, JAMB has announced several key resolutions and waivers to placate the candidates, heal the system from the public outrage and distrust that attended to the 2025 UTME examinations. 

The resolutions, OTN News gathered include the following:

(1) Constitution of Result Verification Committee:

A sub-committee, chaired by Prof. Olufemi Peters, Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and CEE for the FCT, was constituted to verify the results.

(2) Engagement of Renowned Expert to Analyze & Endorse Results:

A renowned psychometrics expert release.Prof. Boniface Nworgu was invited to analyze and endorse the results before release.

(3) Release of Results of Under-age Candidates:

Withheld results of under-aged candidates who performed below the established standards have been released as a “healing process,” though these do not automatically qualify them for admission.

(4) Healing Process Waivers Granted to Candidates Involved in Online Runs:

While JAMB strongly has advised candidates to refrain from joining such questionable groups in the future, the body has granted a “once and for all waiver” to candidates involved in “WhatsApp Runs” and other illicit solicitations for assistance.

(5) Creation of Mop Up Exam Window for Abstent Candidates:

JAMB has pledged to organize its annual mop-up examination for absentee candidates from the resit examination while those who missed the initial main UTME, will be offered an opportunity to participate in the upcoming annual mop-up examination.