Peter Obi Blasts JAMB: Says ‘Reckless’ UTME Scheduling Is Endangering Teenagers!
The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) schedule has been criticized by Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the general elections of 2023.
He added that young pupils’ lives are in danger because of the early start times.
The 2025 UTME began on Thursday, April 24, 2025, and will conclude on Monday, May 5, 2025, according to the DAILY POST.
In a sharply worded statement on Sunday, the former governor of Anambra State voiced worry about allegations that youths, many of whom were between the ages of 15 and 17, were being forced to come to UTME centers as early as 6:30 am.
“Just to exercise their right to education, these teenagers are compelled to travel in the dark, frequently across hazardous and unfamiliar areas,” he said.
Citing accounts of kids getting into car crashes, going missing, and experiencing psychological stress during the exam season, the billionaire called the practice irresponsible.
“When a child who is 15 or 16 years old goes missing or is hurt while attempting to exercise their right to an education, who bears responsibility?” He asked.
Additionally, he maintained that the problem is a reflection of more serious, systemic issues in Nigeria’s education system, specifically a lack of proper facilities.
Despite having a population of over 200 million, Nigeria only boasts roughly 200 universities. That is a startling and concerning ratio—one university for every one million people,” he continued.
Obi said that Indonesia, a Southeast Asian nation with 280 million people, has more than 4,000 postsecondary institutions, whereas Nigeria has a gross enrollment ratio of about 12%.
As a result, he called on the federal government to dramatically boost funding for education.
Even reaching half of Indonesia’s infrastructure, or about 2,000 universities, according to Obi, would increase accessibility and lower student risk.
In order to accommodate the nation’s expanding population and safeguard the welfare of coming generations, he called for a purposeful development of Nigeria’s educational system.
In response, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, or JAMB, made an effort to differentiate between the start times of the UTME and pre-test verification.
A teenage girl was reported missing earlier while traveling to a UTME center in Ajah, Lagos.
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