The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has attributed the low performance in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to the strengthened integrity and security measures of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination process, which have significantly curbed cheating.
Speaking on Tuesday, Alausa said the UTME results, which showed over 1.5 million of 1.95 million candidates scoring below 200, should not be seen as a national failure but as a true reflection of students’ academic preparedness when exams are conducted fairly.
“JAMB’s computer-based testing (CBT) has robust security measures that have nearly eliminated cheating,” he stated.
The minister highlighted that other national examinations, such as those conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), lack similar anti-cheating mechanisms, leading to widespread malpractices.
“In WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, and other exam bodies, we still see malpractices due to manual processes and ‘miracle centres’. That has to stop,” Alausa said.
He revealed that upon assuming office, the ministry initiated a comprehensive review of the national examination system and established a committee to recommend reforms. The committee’s report is expected within days.
