As controversy continues to rage over the results of the just-concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), stakeholders have continued to applaud Prof Is-haq Oloyede for the reforms he has brought into exam body and the manner the ongoing crisis has been managed so far.
In a statement, the members of the Civil Society and Media Group of JAMB, who monitored the just-concluded UTME examinations across Nigeria appreciated the steadfastness of JAMB officials led by its Registrar Professor Is-haq Oloyede to deliver a reliable examinations to the satisfaction of all.
“The processes leading to the 2025 examinations were thorough. The mock examinations and the main examinations attest to our position. We, however, wish to add that we also noted and reported the glitches but it was difficult to ascertain its extent immediately even as we realized that absolute perfection in exercises like these may be impossible anywhere in the world.”
Consequently, this group raised the alarm promptly and meticulously followed the efforts of the JAMB Registrar and his team to address the problem. The Civil Society and Media Group therefore applauded the initiative of crisis communication management which culminated in the world press conference eventually addressed on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, by Oloyede. “The sober apology was tendered, and examinations rescheduled appropriately.
“Oloyede has demonstrated leadership courage to admit and take full responsibility for human errors. We cannot but formally register our strong confidence in Oloyede ‘s sterling leadership at JAMB manifest not only in substantial technological advancement and physical development for the board but also in all other respects.
“Against this backdrop, we enjoin all stakeholders to have a better understanding of this challenging period as well as for continued support for the JAMB management under Professor Ishaq Oloyede to continue not only to serve the organisation and the country but to inspire our youngsters. We reject in totality the call for the resignation of The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede.
“We dare naysayers to undertake a gross assessment of all government agencies in Nigeria and make public their findings on JAMB rating in particular. The group sympathises with the students and parents affected by the glitches. The truama is unimaginable. This is the time to come together and find a lasting solution to the current glitches.”
Also, the National President, Unilorin Alumni Association, Prof. AbdulRasak Kilani, said the JAMB Registrar has demonstrated leadership and responsibility by admitting the errors made by others, which the group said is a commendable feat needed in public service.
“Oloyede mobilised the right resources to identify the causes of the glitches in the JAMB system. His actions have shown honesty and integrity and have affirmed Oloyede as a man of honour. The glitches could have been swept under the carpet, but Prof. Oloyede took the part of honour by accepting responsibility. Oloyede’s style of leadership is needed for growth and national development. We strongly suggest identifying and sanctioning those Service Providers responsible for this reputational challenge for JAMB,” Kilani said.
Commenting too, the Chairman of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) and Team Lead at DevReporting, Mojeed Alabi, has said the problem is deeper than recent errors acknowledged by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Alabi who spoke at the News Central morning show said the results is not misplaced but reflects a problem that has persisted for years. He said this year’s backlash only gained momentum because the performance drop affected students who were previously thought to be strong candidates.
“We were surprised by the outcry, but after reviewing the data, we realised it’s not strange or new. It’s just the tip of the iceberg. The pattern has been consistent. People scoring below 200 have always been the majority about 60 to 70 percent.”
According to him, the shock this year stemmed from the profile of some of the underperforming candidates.
“Children of professors who scored very high in mock JAMB ended up with scores like 150 in the main exam. That’s what triggered public attention,” he noted. He explained that while JAMB’s admission of technical errors in some centres might have raised valid concerns, the broader issue lies in longstanding structural problems within the education system.
“People think this just started, but it didn’t. If we had examined previous years closely, we might have seen the same issues,” he added. Alabi commended JAMB for admitting its errors, calling it a rare move in Nigeria’s public institutions. “We must commend JAMB for accepting responsibility. It’s an institution run by human beings. Errors happen, and the way they’ve responded shows some level of integrity.”
Alabi pointed to conditions surrounding exam logistics from registration to the actual testing as significant contributors to the persistent low performance.
“They pay for forms, travel to exam centres, find lodging, feed themselves, and then have to perform under pressure. It’s a lot. And most of them are not even familiar with CBT systems.”
He reiterated that while technology has a role to play in improving the process, it must be used to reduce barriers not increase them. “Technology should help us solve problems, not complicate them,” he said.
Alabi added that the data from the last five years clearly shows a recurring issue. “If we’re honest, we will see that this isn’t just about this year or one glitch. The pattern has been there all along.”
While some Nigerians have called for Oloyode to resign as a result of the glitches experienced in the last examination, Publisher of NaijaTimes, Ehi Braimah argued otherwise, providing six reasons why Oloyede should not be pressured to resign.
“It is understandable why such calls are being made. The political environment has so coloured our patriotic lens that some people see every issue from an ethnic or religious point of view. One of the core demands of public service ethics is accountability. By publicly acknowledging the glitches and apologising, the JAMB Registrar has taken responsibility—an act of leadership that contrasts sharply with the culture of denial or blame-shifting often seen in Nigerian public sectors such as NNPC. This gesture should be encouraged, not punished, to build a culture of responsibility and transparency in governance.
“The UTME is one of Africa’s most extensive computer-based examinations, with over 1.9 million candidates participating in 2025. In such complex technological ecosystems, occasional, unfortunate disruptions are not unusual. Even in countries with far more advanced digital infrastructure, system glitches occur in high-stakes exams (e.g., SAT cancellations in the U.S. or online testing issues in India). What matters is how the institution responds, not just the occurrence of glitches.”
Braimah noted that calls for resignation are appropriate where there is evidence of fraud, abuse of office, or gross incompetence. “In this case, while the technical failures are regrettable, there is no indication that the registrar orchestrated or ignored the problems. On the contrary, JAMB is willing to investigate the matter and offer remedies, such as rescheduling exams and reviewing scoring systems.
“Under the current registrar’s leadership, JAMB has made measurable improvements: it has curbed examination malpractice through biometric verification, increased revenue remittance to government coffers, and enhanced transparency in admissions via CAPS (Central Admissions Processing System). To demand his resignation over one technical failure risks undermining years of reform. It sends a message that reformers will not be protected when they falter.
“Continuity is critical in highly technical and policy-sensitive institutions like JAMB. Sudden leadership changes amid a crisis can delay corrective actions, disrupt planned reforms, and weaken institutional memory. It is wiser to allow the registrar to oversee the investigation, fix the problems, and implement safeguards against recurrence.”
Braimah stated that the mass failure should be a learning moment for JAMB and all Nigeria’s education system stakeholders, noting that the public discourse should focus on improving infrastructure, training, contingency planning, and independent monitoring, not on scapegoating individuals willing to admit faults.
“Leadership should be held to high standards, but also to fair standards. While public outrage over the exam failures is understandable, the call for resignation is premature and counterproductive. The registrar should be allowed to rectify the errors, complete the investigations, and strengthen JAMB’s systems, so that institutional learning, not institutional disruption, becomes the legacy of this unfortunate episode,” Braimah said.
Similarly, Worldwide President, Ẹgbẹ Agba Itẹsiwaju Yorùbá, Agbaakin Tunde Adeleke, noted that in a very rare and shocking show of humility and complete accountability, Oloyede publicly apologized in tears for the technical errors committed by some centres in the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) in April 2025, which affected the results of some candidates in the exams, and asked them to re-sit the exam at no cost to the candidates.
“This is very rare in Nigeria. Public institutions and agencies have recorded failures and misbehaved before – NEPA, CBN, the Military, NNPC, Immigration Service, Hajj Commission, Political Parties, Governments, the Nigeria Police, etc, but no public apology has ever been given at any point in time.
“Oloyede has taught Nigerians to always make the right call. Instead of being arrogant, he chose to be humble; instead of being ashamed and keeping quiet to protect himself and his institution, he chose to be courageous by openly accepting the technical glitches, and instead of behaving like most Nigerians would, he chose to be different.
“He therefore deserves our commendation, not condemnation; he deserves our support and encouragement, not our criticism; he deserves our understanding, and not our pathetic innuendos. He is well the face of hope in this country. He has made our days by demonstrating how to be a leader and a hero wrapped in one.
“We have all come to accept that leadership is our own Tsunami in this country. Our leaders hardly take responsibility. They hardly take us seriously. They hardly show good example. They hardly consider our pains. Yet, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede has demonstrated all of these in one single gesture, including finding a remediation for the mistakes.
“To those stringently criticizing the JAMB Registrar, you need to look back and ask yourself what Prof. Oloyede has to lose if he had not owned up. He is in his second term as JAMB Registrar. He has made good names for himself, and the responsibility he has publicly taken could make us look at him differently. Yet he went ahead to apologize publicly anyway. He didn’t pass the buck. Isn’t that a great man that should rather be appreciated?
“For us as Ẹgbẹ́ Àgbà Itesiwaju Yoruba, we are proud of this illustrious Yoruba son who has consistently demonstrated Omoluabi ethos. We hold Prof. Oloyede, our hero, in utmost high esteem of integrity and incorruptibility. We have observed that this is the first time. This kind of thing has never happened before under his watch in nine years of his stewardship, and technology can be a terrible horse to ride at times.
“Since he took office in 2016, he has brought far-reaching reforms to JAMB, stabilized and upgraded its activities in and restored JAMB’s integrity. He therefore deserves our support, understanding, and commendation,” Adeleke stated.
In addition, the Executive Chairman, Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC), Disu Kamor, stated that the Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) extended its heartfelt sympathies to the thousands of students and their families affected by the reported glitch in the recent Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Computer-Based Test (CBT) examination.
“This unfortunate incident has undoubtedly caused significant distress, anxiety, and uncertainty for the students and their loved ones. We commend the prompt response and leadership demonstrated by the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, in addressing this issue. By taking personal responsibility and outlining a clear plan to address the problem, Professor Oloyede has shown exemplary accountability and a commitment to finding solutions.
“We call on Nigerians not lose sight of the tremendous progress JAMB has made under the leadership of Professor Is-haq Oloyede. His visionary leadership has transformed the Board, ridding it of corruption and ensuring that it serves the interests of Nigeria and Nigerians. Professor Oloyede’s unwavering commitment to reforming JAMB has earned him widespread acclaim and admiration and unsurprisingly, unfair criticism from a fringe group, and ethnic champions, most of whom are exploiting the current challenge faced by the Board to attack him.
“In this national call to service and others before it, Professor Oloyede’s leadership has been characterized by integrity and vision. Since appointed to lead JAMB in 2016 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Oloyede has demonstrated unwavering commitment to reform and change. At JAMB, he has successfully implemented policies that have enhanced the credibility and transparency of the examination process. His leadership has ensured that JAMB operates with integrity, fairness, and accountability, and Professor Oloyede’s work has improved the lives of countless students and parents, providing them with a fair and merit-based opportunity to access higher education.”
Kamor noted that despite the current glitch, most Nigerians retain confidence in JAMB under Oloyede’s leadership. His ability to get to the root of the problem and fix it is unparalleled. “We trust that he will: identify the cause; determine the root cause of the glitch and take corrective action; implement solutions; develop and implement effective solutions to prevent similar incidents in the future; ensure fairness; guarantee that all students are treated fairly and with dignity.”
MPAC urged all stakeholders, including students, parents, and the general public, to support Oloyede’s leadership and trust in his ability to resolve the issue and continue to lead JAMB with integrity and vision.
“The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) stands in solidarity with the affected students and their families. We have every confidence that under Professor Oloyede’s leadership, JAMB will overcome this challenge and continue to serve Nigeria and Nigerians with integrity and dedication. Lastly, we commend Professor Oloyede’s commitment to the education sector and his dedication to ensuring that students have a fair and transparent examination process. We look forward to seeing the successful resolution of this issue and the continued growth and development of our education system.”
