Education
Apology over Failure Not Accepted, Kalu Tells Oloyede
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
House of Representatives Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu yesterday, raised serious concerns bothering on the activities and competence of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), blasting the examination body for demonstrating gross incompetence, frustrating Nigerians and the nation’s education system in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Kalu, who addressed the House of Representatives Correspondents on his misgivings, said the examination body has cost Nigerian people so much pain, leaving candidates traumatized and hopeless.
“The mass outcry that followed the release of this year’s results, and the subsequent technical review, demands not only transparency but decisive action to restore faith in our educational system.
“First of all, let me begin by commending the candor, 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. The swift apology and the decision to offer retake opportunities for all affected candidates reflect a commitment to fairness and justice.
“However, we must recognize that these measures, while necessary, do not erase the trauma, disruption, and uncertainty experienced by our young people and their families. Nigeria unfortunately lost a UTME candidate to suicide, consequentially triggered by the ensuing results of this technical glitch. Our heart goes out to the loved ones of this brave young one.”
On the technical Issues in Detail, the Deputy Speaker who sounded quite displeased said, “The technical review results available to me have revealed that a critical system patch essential for the new shuffling and validation protocols was not deployed to the server clusters servicing 157 centres in the South-East and Lagos.
“One of the most critical discoveries made revolved around three major systemic changes introduced in the 2025 UTME. The first was a shift from the traditional count-based analysis to a more robust source-based analysis of results. In previous years, JAMB evaluated the integrity of examination sessions primarily by counting the number of responses submitted per session. If the majority of candidates in a session of 250 submitted a near-complete set of answers, the session was deemed valid.
“Any significant deviation led to the disqualification of that centre’s results.
However, in 2025, a more advanced model was adopted; one that focused on the actual source and logic of the answers provided, rather than just their quantity.
“The second change involved full-scale shuffling of both questions and answer options. This ensured that even two candidates sitting in the same session would not receive identical permutations, thereby enhancing test security. The third change was a series of systemic improvements aimed at optimizing performance and reducing lag during exam sessions. This was a major policy change that saw the best and highest obtained UTME score in 15 years; a remarkable achievement by JAMB in principle.
“However, while these improvements were technologically sound in theory, a major operational flaw was uncovered during the implementation phase.
“The system patch necessary to support both shuffling and source-based validation had been fully deployed on the server cluster supporting the KAD (Kaduna) zone, but it was not applied to the LAG (Lagos) cluster, which services centres in Lagos and the South-East. This omission persisted across all sessions until the 17th session, after which the error was discovered and corrected.
“As a result, approximately 92 centres in the South-East and 65 centres in Lagos, totalling 157 centres, operated using outdated server logic that could not appropriately handle the new answer submission and marking structure. This affected an estimated 379,997 candidates, whose results were severely impacted due to system mismatches during answer validation.
“To verify the scale and accuracy of this issue, JAMB collaborated with the Educare Technical Team, which had gathered response data directly from over 18,000 candidates. After deduplication and filtering, about 15,000 authentic records were analyzed. Of these, more than 14,000 originated from the regions serviced by the unpatched LAG servers, confirming the technical review’s findings. Comparative analyses between JAMB’s internal audits and third-party system evaluations revealed significant overlap, reinforcing the conclusion that the affected centres were indeed operating under impaired conditions.
“As a result, candidates in these centres were unfairly disadvantaged, with their responses improperly validated and their scores misrepresented. This was not a failure of our students, nor a deliberate act of sabotage, but a preventable human error within our system.
“We must not underestimate the toll this has taken. Parents and candidates have voiced legitimate concerns about the hurried scheduling of re-sit examinations, the overlap with ongoing WAEC assessments, the psychological strain, and the logistical burdens of traveling to distant centres on short notice.
“Reports from the resit examinations held on Friday include complaints of difficult questions, time management issues, more technical glitches, poor centre coordination, and a lack of adequate support for those still affected.”
The Deputy Speaker demanded that, in light of these revelations, urgent actions must be taken to protect all candidates that registered for the examination in year 2925.
He demanded a comprehensive review of all Reports, insisting that, “JAMB must immediately review all available technical and independent reports including those from third-party educational technology companies that have gathered candidate-level data to fully understand the scope and implications of the crisis. Only by triangulating internal findings with external audits can we ensure that no affected candidate is left behind.”
Equally, he demanded for an independent System audit, stating that, “Now that the rescheduled examinations have concluded, I urge JAMB to commission an independent, transparent audit of its entire examination infrastructure. This audit should involve external professionals, system engineers, and academic measurement experts to scrutinize every aspect of the CBT engine, question delivery, answer validation, and result collation processes.”
Kalu called for the safeguarding of affected Candidates, stressing that, “It is imperative that candidates from the South-East and Lagos who have already borne the brunt of these failures are not further disadvantaged.
“JAMB must provide a clear, accessible mechanism for remark and appeal, especially for those dissatisfied with the hurried re-sit or who experienced technical difficulties during the second sitting. Furthermore, coordination with WAEC and other examination bodies must continue to ensure that no candidate’s academic progression is impeded by scheduling conflicts.
He sought transparent communication and Data Release, maintaining that, “JAMB should proactively publish anonymized, candidate-level result data for independent verification and open its systems to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests as a gesture of transparency and accountability.
This will go a long way in rebuilding public trust.”
The Deputy Speaker called for the strengthening of Quality Assurance and Real-Time Monitoring saying that, “going forward, JAMB must implement stronger deployment validation protocols and real-time monitoring mechanisms to prevent recurrence.Every system update must be thoroughly tested and confirmed across all server clusters before deployment during high-stakes examinations.”
Admonishing the affected candidates, Kalu said, “Your frustration is valid, and your voices have been heard. The integrity of our national examinations must never be compromised by technical lapses or human error. As Deputy Speaker, Iassure you that the National Assembly stands ready to provide oversight and ensure that these reforms are not only promised but delivered.
“Let us turn this painful episode into a catalyst for lasting improvement. Our young people deserve a system that is not only fair, but resilient, transparent, and worthy of their trust.I end with this word of note to JAMB: “Strive even when you stumble; transparency and honesty builds trust, and trust propels us forward.”
Several candidates across the country have raised diverse concerns with the processes as superintendent by the examination body, JAMB.
Several candidates went to their centres but could not write due to technical issues in taking their biometrics and were recaptured with a promised reschedule, which has not been communicated yet, leaving candidates in panic.
Others were outrightly said to have been deprived from writing the examination for being minors, after all processes were completed and the Print Out issued.
Some who wrote the examination reported issues accessing their results with the issues code, averting that the network kept deducting their money, without offering the requested service.
Certain interests in the academic sector have continued to call for the scrapping of JAMB, insisting that the examination body was unnecessary, but allegedly profiteering from candidates.
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has authorised 20 federal and state universities across Nigeria to commence varying degrees of industrial action.
The decision was reached during a critical National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja between August 8 and 9, 2026.
ASUU National President, Prof.
Christopher Piwuna, disclosed this at the weekend, expressing the union’s deep frustration over the “haphazard implementation” of the landmark December 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement.The union warned that a full-scale resurgence of campus unrest is now inevitable.
Regarding the 20 approved universities facing looming strikes, the NEC resolved to grant permission for industrial action once individual institutions successfully satisfy internal union requirements.
The affected institutions include: Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba (AAUA); Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK); Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai (IBBUL); University of Medical Sciences, Ondo (UNIMEDO); Gombe State University (GSU), Gombe; Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos; Emmanuel Alayande University of Education (EAUED), Oyo; Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma (AAUE); Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa; Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu; University of Education and Entrepreneurship (UEE), Akamkpa; Kaduna State University (KASU), Kaduna.
Others are Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology (ADUSTECH), Wudil; Northwest University, Kano (NWUK); Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Enugu; Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri; Niger Delta University (NDU), Wilberforce Island; University of Africa, Toru-Orua (UAT); Bayelsa Medical University (BMU), Yenagoa; and Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo.
ASUU also disclosed that the implementation status of universities within the Lagos Zone is currently under review, with separate declarations expected in due course.
Speaking on the core grievances driving the crisis, ASUU noted that while Vice-Chancellors at the federal level face severe challenges due to underfunded monthly salary bills, the situation at the state level is considerably worse.
According to the union, only about 10% or fewer of state governors have openly endorsed the new salary package established in December 2025.
The rest were accused of “playing the ostrich” and passing financial burdens onto Governing Councils that lack the funding to back them.
The union also explicitly blamed officials within the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. These bodies are accused of deliberately stalling promotion arrears, dragging their feet on monthly salary releases, and illegally withholding the remittance of academics’ deductions to their respective Pension Fund Administrations (PFAs).
Furthermore, ASUU raised concerns over the unpaid, withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries dating back to the 2022 nationwide strike. While ASUU initially praised President Bola Tinubu for releasing four months of those salaries, the refusal to remit the balance has left a “strong bitter taste.”
The union also condemned the prolonged delays in paying the 25/35% wage award and outstanding promotion arrears to its members.
Meanwhile, ASUU issued a stern warning regarding the recent harassment of its branch leaders and members by Vice-Chancellors at ESUT, IMSU, and ABSU.
The NEC declared that it will strictly refuse to call off any industrial action in these specific institutions until all forms of victimization stop completely.
Beyond the immediate academic crisis, the NEC reviewed the worsening socio-political and economic landscape of Nigeria.
The union strongly condemned the ongoing atmosphere of pre-election violence, political killings, and economic instability as the country approaches upcoming election cycles, noting that these existential threats directly undermine the living and working conditions of everyday Nigerians and university lecturers alike.
Despite praising the mediation efforts of Senator Lanre Tejuoso, the Chairman of the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC), ASUU maintains that it will stop at nothing to enforce the full scope of the agreement.
The union has announced that it will convene an emergency NEC meeting in the next few weeks to appraise the situation. If the government fails to act swiftly to clear outstanding financial entitlements and halt the harassment of lecturers, a wider, coordinated national academic shutdown may follow.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the National Examinations Council (NECO) Computer-Based Test (CBT) Senior School Certificate Examination,
Ahmad, while monitoring the ongoing examination at Redeemers Teap School and Anglican Girls’ Grammar School on Wednesday in Abuja, described the exercise as a major step towards eliminating examination malpractice.
She said feedback from candidates at both centres indicated that most of them preferred the CBT format to the traditional paper-based examination.
According to her, the candidates also confirmed that they experienced no technical glitches and that the examinations commenced on schedule.
”I spoke with a lot of the students and most of them said they prefer the CBT examination.
”They also confirmed that they had not seen the examination questions before the test and that each candidate answered a different set of questions randomly.
”The CBT makes communication between candidates impossible and is one of the best ways of tackling examination malpractice,” she said.
The minister said the successful deployment of CBT represented significant progress in the education sector, adding that the government would only proceed with full transition after ensuring adequate infrastructure nationwide.
”We will not begin the full transition until we have everything in place because we do not want to put any student at a disadvantage.
”We are working with the National Assembly, state governors, private partners and other stakeholders to provide the facilities required for a seamless nationwide transition,” she said.
Ahmad added that the adoption of CBT would ultimately improve the quality of education by promoting merit and integrity in examinations.
Also speaking, the Registrar of NECO, Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi, said the council recorded no technical hitch since the commencement of the examination.
”They assured me that since the commencement of this year’s examination, they have not experienced any technical glitch. The exams were ready, they started on time, no hiccups, no network problems, nothing like that.”
He disclosed that 1,378,048 candidates registered for this year’s Senior School Certificate Examination, with female candidates slightly outnumbering their male counterparts.
According to him, the increasing participation of girls reflects the impact of government policies promoting girl-child education.
Wushishi also said NECO had about 10 CBT centres in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), adding that the council is expected to release the examination results by the first week of September to support the 2026 admission process.
He reaffirmed that the CBT system, through question randomisation, had greatly reduced opportunities for examination malpractice while enhancing the credibility of the examination process.
One of the candidates, Ambassador Alabi, from Redeemer’s teap described the CBT experience as seamless and more convenient than the traditional paper-based examination.
Another Candidate from the Anglican girls school Isaac Abioro said CBT examination has been efficient and easy to answer questions and there have not been any technical glitch in the process so far
On her part the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Grammar School, Mrs Nkiruka Nwafor, said the transition to CBT was preparing students for a technology-driven future.
According to her, the school adopted the system early to familiarise students with computer-based examinations before external assessments.
”The CBT experience is what we’ve all been waiting for. The future our girls are going into is dynamic and heavily ICT-driven.
”We are excited that our proprietor got on board. We have also introduced CBT for some of our internal examinations so that from JS1 and JS2, the students gradually get used to the system. So it’s about time, and it’s good that it’s happening,” she said.
The monitoring exercise at Redeemer’s Teap Secondary School and Anglican Girls’ Grammar School showed candidates writing the examination in an orderly environment without reported technical challenges.
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Federal Government has suspended the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The federal government last week announced the jacking up of the fees from N27,500 to N50,000.
However, in a statement on Monday July 13, 2026, signed by Director, Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, the Federal Ministry of Education announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken.
According to the statement, the Ministry acknowledged the concerns and constructive feedback received from the public and appreciates the keen interest shown by Nigerians in matters relating to access to quality education.
The statement read: “The proposed review was informed by the prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of conducting credible national examinations.
“The current examination registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite significant increases in operational costs, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other essential services required to maintain the integrity and credibility of public examinations across the country.
“Nevertheless, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has directed that the proposal be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive, transparent and evidence-based policymaking.
“This decision underscores the Ministry’s determination to ensure that policies affecting millions of Nigerian students and their families are carefully considered, socially responsive and reflect the collective interest of the nation.
“As part of the fresh review process, the Ministry will further engage extensively with examination bodies, State Ministries of Education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners to ensure that any future decision is fair, sustainable, transparent and responsive to prevailing realities while safeguarding access to education.
“Accordingly, the proposed review of examination registration fees will not take effect, as earlier communicated, pending the conclusion of the consultation process.
“The Federal Ministry of Education reassures Nigerians that the welfare of students, equitable access to quality education and responsible policy decisions remain at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, for the education sector.
“The Ministry appreciates the understanding, patience and continued support of all stakeholders and remains committed to keeping the public fully informed throughout the consultation process.”, it added.
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