UTME 2025: CPE Urges FG to Tackle Persistent Technical Glitches — Calls for Lasting Solutions

The Concerned Parents and Educators Initiative (CPE), an advocacy group in the education sector, urged the federal government on Thursday to find long-term solutions to the ongoing problems that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, or JAMB, faces, particularly in its administration of the annual Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, or UTME.

The group’s resolve resulted from a webinar with the theme “JAMB Crisis: Way Forward,” which brought together parents, tech innovators, and education officials.

The public outcry over the 2025 UTME’s conduct, which was tainted by claims of widespread failure, geographical inequalities, and technological glitches in the computer-based testing (CBT) system, was discussed at the session.

To lessen applicant pressure and enable greater performance calibration and technical preparation, they advocated for the implementation of several examination windows, including holding the UTME twice a year.

“The shift to cloud-based infrastructure is imperative. By switching to a cloud-supported design, JAMB’s CBT systems would be more scalable and resilient, experience fewer technical malfunctions, and guarantee data protection.

“To lessen travel burden and promote exam inclusivity, JAMB must also increase the accessibility of accredited CBT centers, particularly in underserved rural and remote areas. Additionally, they must improve system security by implementing sophisticated fraud detection algorithms and closely monitoring CBT centers,” they said.

Alex Onyia, CEO of Educare, and Joshua Ozugbakun, Head of Strategy at Tuteria, were featured in the webinar. They listed the urgent changes required to enhance student outcomes and rebuild public confidence in Nigeria’s tertiary examination system.

The introduction of exam items centered on critical thinking, improved teacher preparation, performance analytics for schools, digital literacy initiatives for underprivileged students, and family involvement in their children’s academic preparation were some of the main answers put up.

“JAMB cannot be held solely responsible for poor results,” Ozugbakun said, advocating for a national emphasis on parental involvement and teacher quality.

He emphasized that academic underperformance has been exacerbated by the outsourcing of parental responsibilities to schools.

In order to alleviate the strain on overburdened public institutions, Onyia advocated for closing significant infrastructure gaps and suggested public-private collaborations that would enable underutilized private schools to assist.

Additionally, he urged that faith-based organizations be hired to oversee public schools that are performing poorly and that CBT centers be subject to more stringent quality monitoring.

Yinka Ogunde, the founder and convener of the CPE effort, said in her remarks that putting the recommendations into practice will greatly increase the UTME process’s legitimacy, usability, and efficacy, hence fortifying Nigeria’s system for admitting students to postsecondary education.

“This is just the start. The forum is the first of several events planned to work with stakeholders from the public and commercial sectors to bring about long-lasting reform in Nigeria’s educational system.

Ogunde said, “We would value the chance to work with the government more closely to refine these proposals and look into potential areas of cooperation.”