The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has revealed that he almost resigned following the technical issues that disrupted the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in parts of Lagos and the South-East.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, which included Chief External Examiners, state technical advisers, and other officials involved in the UTME, Oloyede recounted the emotional toll the glitches took on him.
“When this happened, my first reaction is to resign, but people advised me that the students will never forgive you because it will look like you have abandoned them at such a time,” he said.
Oloyede dismissed growing speculation and conspiracy theories that the technical issues were deliberately targeted at specific regions.
He stressed that such narratives were unfounded and divisive.
“I take responsibility, not because I failed, but because that’s leadership. I didn’t even realise people viewed issues around me through ethnic lenses. We must rise above such profiling,” he stated.
Further addressing the purpose of the UTME, the JAMB boss clarified that the examination is a selection tool rather than a test of intelligence.
“Its purpose is to rank candidates for limited admission slots, not to test how smart someone is,” Oloyede explained.
Despite the setbacks, he commended the resilience of both candidates and JAMB staff.
“We had limited space. We knew if we wasted more time grieving the challenges, students would lose their opportunity,” he noted.
A special mop-up examination is being planned to accommodate affected candidates, and Oloyede reaffirmed the board’s commitment to fairness and integrity.
