JAMB Reveals Lawsuit Stalling Release of 40,000 Underage Candidates’ Results
According to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the results of more than 40,000 minors who took the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination cannot be made public until the Court of Appeal makes a decision.
The public anger over the 2025 UTME results being released and the results of more than 40,000 underage candidates being withheld prompted the announcement.
In February 2025, JAMB appealed a Delta State High Court decision that prohibited it from implementing its 16-year-old minimum admission age policy while a lawsuit against the board was being heard and decided.
Prof. Tahir Mamman, the immediate-past minister of education, established the minimum age of 18 for admission in July 2024;
Dr. Tunji Alausa, his successor, changed the rule to require a minimum age of 16 to be admitted.
However, JAMB stated that highly talented applicants under the age of sixteen could take the UTME.
John Aikpokpo-Martins, a lawyer, sued JAMB, claiming that the organization had breached sections 18(1) and 42 of the 1999 Constitution by limiting university admittance to applicants who were 16 years of age or older.
In his decision, Justice Anthony O. Akpovi ruled that the policy was unconstitutional, stating that it denied qualified candidates equal educational opportunities by discriminating against them based only on their age. Additionally deemed void was the JAMB’s October 16, 2024, rule, which required postsecondary educational institutions to admit only applicants who would turn 16 by August 31, 2025.
The court mandated that JAMB and universities admit all eligible applicants who fulfill the standards, irrespective of their birthdate.
After an injunction was issued, JAMB and all universities were prohibited from imposing any age-based admissions limitations.
Dr. Fabian Benjamin, Head of Protocol and Public Relations at JAMB, told our correspondent in Abuja, “We appealed the ruling.” The appellate court’s decision will determine when the results are released.
Nigerians have received an apology from the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies for the technical problems that plagued the 2025 UTME, which they attribute to human error rather than a malfunction in the system.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, the committee’s chairman, Oboku Oforji, clarified that initial inquiries into the matter had shown that human error was the root of the problem, in contrast to JAMB’s earlier assertion that it was a technical glitch.
Recall that more than 78% of candidates received scores below 200 out of the 400 possible points in the 2025 UTME, according to results issued by JAMB on May 9. Public indignation and demands for accountability from stakeholders nationwide were triggered by the subpar performance.
On May 15, the House of Representatives responded by passing a resolution to look into the purported technological issue that impacted the way the examination was conducted.
“On behalf of the examination body, we sincerely apologize to all Nigerians,” Oforji said in response to the problem. The committee commends Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB Registrar, for his bravery and sincerity in taking responsibility for his team’s mistakes and offering an apology to the candidates, parents, and the country at large. However, because JAMB was negligent, these human errors could have been prevented.
He commended the dedication of Nigerian students, who are still keen to pursue their academic goals in hopes of a better future in spite of the obstacles.
“The committee also recognizes the drive and commitment of Nigerian students to further their education in order to better our nation’s future,” he continued.
But despite the unfortunate mistakes, Oforji insisted that it is important to remember JAMB’s operational consistency from registration to the distribution of the results. He praised the board’s efforts to keep things organized and under control despite growing pressure from candidates and their families.
The chairman of the committee stated that his committee had suggested a number of changes to the testing body to guarantee that such occurrences do not happen again and called for an “independent and thorough investigation” into the circumstances underlying the blunders.
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