Former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, has applauded the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, for his transparency in admitting to technical hitches during the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Oloyede had earlier in the week acknowledged during a press briefing in Abuja that the 2025 UTME was marred by glitches in several centres, a rare public admission that has stirred mixed reactions from Nigerians.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Akande said Oloyede’s honesty should be commended, particularly in view of his ongoing efforts to tackle widespread examination malpractice in Nigeria.
“A lot of cheating is going on. Parents are now paying people to write exams for their children. It has become a serious issue, and Oloyede is confronting it head-on,” Akande stated.
He warned against using the recent UTME challenges to undermine the registrar or the Minister of Education, both of whom, he said, are leading critical reforms in the education sector.
“Oloyede came out to say, ‘This is an embarrassment. I take responsibility.’ Not many people in public office would do that,” he noted. “We need to support him and the minister to continue with these bold reforms.”
JAMB’s admission followed growing public outcry over irregularities and poor performance in the 2025 UTME. After a thorough review, the Board announced that a total of 379,997 candidates, who were affected by the technical glitches, would be required to retake the examination beginning from May 16, 2025.
According to JAMB, the issue was traced to 157 out of the 887 examination centres nationwide, leading to unusually low scores for some candidates.
Despite the backlash, the Board has assured Nigerians of its commitment to fairness and integrity in the conduct of future examinations.
