..Obi demands urgent education reforms
..parents express disappointment, concerns
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, on Tuesday said that the high failure rate in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is proof that anti-malpractice measures are working effectively, especially within the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) system.
He spoke on the heels of public concerns following JAMB’s release of data indicating that out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the examination, only about 420,000 scored above 200. More than 78% failed to meet the 200-mark threshold.
Speaking on Channels Television’s on Tuesday, Alausa attributed the poor performance to reduced cheating due to JAMB’s stringent security protocols.
He said: “That’s a big concern, and it’s a reflection of exams being done the proper way.
“JAMB conducts its exam using a computer-based testing system. They’ve implemented strong security measures, and as a result, fraud or cheating has been completely eliminated. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for WAEC and NECO.”
According to him, shortly after taking office, the government carried out a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s examination systems, and as part of reforms, he announced that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) will begin transitioning to computer-based testing (CBT) starting November 2025 with objective papers, followed by full CBT adoption, including essay sections, by May/June 2026.
“We have to use technology to fight this fraud. There are so many ‘miracle centres’, and that is simply unacceptable. People cheat during WAEC and NECO exams and then face JAMB, where cheating is nearly impossible. That’s the disparity we’re seeing now. It’s sad.
“The worst part of cheating is that it disincentivises the hard-working ones. If I’m preparing for WAEC or NECO and I know some classmates already have access to the questions, do you think I’ll still study hard?
“No, I’ll be tempted to join them. That’s how good students are corrupted, and that’s exactly what we must stop.”
On whether the poor results were due to weak enforcement or a genuine drop in academic standards, the minister said both played a role but added that widespread malpractice was the root issue.
“We’re addressing the quality of teaching and using technology, including online classes, to support learning from primary to secondary levels. But the pervasive cheating in our high school exams, especially WAEC and NECO, is the core problem,” he said.
“JAMB is now almost 100 per cent fraud-free, but WAEC and NECO still have major lapses. Our youths are intelligent, capable, and energetic. It’s the environment that corrupts them, and we’re determined to fix that,” he added
Meanwhile, Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has decried the state of Nigeria’s education system following the release of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination figures, which revealed that over 78% of candidates scored below 200.
In a statement posted on his official social media handles on Tuesday, Obi described the outcome as “a reflection of the deep-rooted challenges in our educational system,” citing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s official figures.
According to him, out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the UTME, only about 420,000 scored above 200, leaving more than 1.5 million with scores below the 200 mark.
Obi blamed the alarming failure rate on years of neglect and poor investment in the education sector.
“The latest JAMB results once again highlight the consequences of decades of underinvestment in education, a sector that should be central to our national development strategy,” he said.
He drew comparisons with other countries to underscore Nigeria’s lag in educational advancement.
“Bangladesh, which once lagged behind Nigeria in virtually every measurable development index, now surpasses us in all key areas of development and in the Human Development Index (HDI),” he said.
Obi said that while Nigeria has around 2 million students enrolled in universities nationwide, Bangladesh’s National University alone has over 3.4 million students, despite having only 75% of Nigeria’s population.
He also noted that Turkey, with a population of about 87.7 million, boasts over 7 million university students — more than three times Nigeria’s total enrollment.
“Education is not just a social service; it is a strategic investment. It is the most critical driver of national development and the most powerful tool for lifting people out of poverty,” he stressed.
Calling for immediate action, Obi urged the government to “invest aggressively in education — at all levels — if we are serious about building a prosperous, secure, and equitable Nigeria.”
Some parents in Lagos on Tuesday expressed disappointment and concerns over the low performance of candidates in the recently concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Some parents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the low performance could be attributed to a number of issues.
NAN reports that the UTME, organised by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), had on Monday released a comprehensive statistical breakdown of the 2025 results.
According to the board’s official figures, a total of 1,955,069 candidates sat for the UTME, with performance across score ranging as follows: 320 and above (4,756 or 0.24 per cent), 300–319 (7,658 or 0.39 per cent).
Others are 300 and above (12,414 or 0.63 per cent); 250–299 (73,441 or 3.76 per cent), 200–249 (334,560 or 17.11 per cent).
The candidates who scored 160–199 are 983,187 or 50.29 per cent; 140–159 (488,197 or 24.97 per cent); 120–139 (57,419 or 2.94 per cent), 100–119 (3,820 or 0.20 per cent), while those who scored below 100 are 2,031 or 0.10 per cent.
A parent, Mr Oluwaseun Oluwajuwon, who spoke with NAN, attributed the low performance to lack of reading culture amongst the candidates.
“Students’ participation in academic matters is very low, with many preferring social media and other distractions over reading and learning.
“We parents need to really pay attention to our kids. We need to make sure they follow moral standards and ensure they study hard,” Oluwajuwon, a cyber security expert, said.
Another parent, Mrs Saidat Oduwole, a pharmacist, told NAN that the quality of education contributed to the low performance of candidates.
Oduwole stated that the quality of education had been dropping due to the current economic situation, making it difficult for students to access textbooks and other educational resources.
To Mrs Ifunanya Bello, a businesswoman, the low performance of the candidates may not be unconnected with unqualified teachers.
“A significant number of teachers in Nigeria’s education system are not qualified to teach.
“Schools need to employ qualified teachers to enable these children have a sound education that they deserve to merit any position they find themselves in life,” she said.
An educationist, Mrs Adetoro Bello, attributed the low performance to media influence.
“The widespread use of social media among students is worrisome and this, for me, has distracted them from their studies, leading to a low performance in their examinations.
Another parent, Mr Olufisayo Anthony, called on the management of JAMB to improve its performance, while attributing the poor performance of the candidates to technical issues.
Anthony said that some candidates had complained about the technical glitch they experienced while writing the exam.
“This might have affected their performance. JAMB needs to improve on their performance and ensure that these technical glitches become a thing of the past,” he said.
Mr Stephen Olatunbosun, a fashion designer, implicated negligence on the part of the candidates for the poor performance.
Olatunbosun said that many candidates did not take their studies seriously, with some even intentionally seeking to fail in order to pursue education abroad or in private universities.
He also added that some students preferred social media and other distractions over reading and learning, saying participation in academic matters was very low.
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