Reps to FG: Order JAMB to Release Withheld UTME Results of Under-16 Candidates!

The Federal Government of Nigeria has been urged by the House of Representatives to order the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to make all the results of applicants under 16 who took the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) public.

Although JAMB has apologized to Nigerians and acknowledged a system fault in the recently finished UTME, it is still withholding the results of approximately 39,780 underage applicants who did not receive at least 80 percent, or 320, in the exam.

Following Nigeria’s exam body’s admission of fault in the recently ended UTME, BusinessDay claimed that numerous minor candidates may be subjected to unfair treatment.

Vice chancellors of universities, rectors of polytechnics, provosts of colleges of education, heads of schools, and examiners met with JAMB chiefs to discuss the differences in UTME results after the widespread failure brought on by JAMB technical issues. The crucial concern, though, is whether minors will be used as scapegoats for the numerous mistakes made by the exam authority.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) registrar and CEO, Ish’aq Oloyede, had earlier in the year declared that the organization would be strict with underage applicants.

“They will face more sanctions from us. He said, “They are going to waste their money, so it would have been better for them to wait for their time.”

On Wednesday, Oloyede acknowledged that some candidates’ results were impacted by technological issues. The JAMB registrar explained the 2025 UTME result difficulties by saying, “Man proposes, God disposes.”

According to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, just 467, or 1.16 percent, of the 40,247 minor applicants who took the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) received scores high enough to be placed in the exceptional ability category.

Additionally, the House of Representatives decided to look into the technical issue that plagued the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

On Wednesday, JAMB acknowledged a technological glitch that jeopardized the accuracy of the 2025 UTME results in 157 locations throughout the country. This came after the results were made public on May 9 and caused a great deal of controversy.

In order to lessen the difficulties that applicants have when taking tests, the House also asked the government to set up computer-based test (CBT) centers in each of the nation’s 774 local government districts.

These decisions came after a motion of urgent public significance was adopted. The motion was made by Morufu Adewale Adebayo, a member who represents the Irepodun/Olorunda/Osogbo/Orolu Federal Constituency in Osun State.

Candidates who turn 16 by August 31, 2025, must meet stringent conditions stipulated by JAMB’s underage admission policy, among other things. These prerequisites for underage admittance consist of UTME and O’Level Scores: Candidates must receive at least 80 percent (320) in the UTME and 80 percent in the O’Level exams, according to an indemnity document they sign before registering.

Before being considered for admission, candidates must take an additional exam for outstanding candidates and receive a score of at least 80 percent.

Although the juvenile candidates were allowed to demonstrate their academic abilities, the examination body revealed that “their performance in the subsequent three stages is still pending,” meaning that the assessment procedure for these exceptional applicants is far from over.