Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has called on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to conduct a comprehensive, independent audit of its examination infrastructure to address recent technical glitches experienced during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Kalu, who made this known while addressing the media on Sunday, described the rescheduling of the resit examination as hasty without consideration for the long distances students travel for the exercise, especially as it coincided with the ongoing 2025 Senior School Certificate Examinations
The deputy speaker asked JAMB to engage the services of external professionals, including system engineers and academic measurement experts, to thoroughly examine its Computer-Based Test (CBT) systems, question delivery mechanisms, answer validation processes, and result collation methods.
Kalu further recommended that JAMB immediately review technical and independent reports from third-party educational technology firms that have collected candidate-level data, maintaining that this initiative would help to fully understand the extent and impact of the challenges encountered during the exercise
He demanded that special attention be given to candidates from the South-East Geopolitical Zone and Lagos state, who were affected by the disruptions, asking the board to ensure they are not further disadvantaged and insisted that JAMB provides a clear, accessible mechanism for remark and appeal for them
Kalu commended what he decribed as the candour, touching humility, and accountability demonstrated by the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, and his team in admitting to the technical errors that affected nearly 380,000 candidates across the South-East Geopolitical Zone and Lagos State, saying the swift apology and the decision to offer retake opportunities for all affected candidates reflect a commitment to fairness and justice.
He assured parents and students of the National Assembly’s readiness to provide oversight and ensure that all the reforms proposed to the examination body are not only promised but delivered, describing the painful development as a catalyst for lasting improvement.
Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie
