The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has demanded the immediate resignation of Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), following the admission by the examination body that the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was riddled with serious errors.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday by its National Public Relations Officer, Samson Adeyemi, NANS noted that the lapses in the UTME were more than a technical mishap. According to the students’ body, they represent “a damning indictment of the institution’s incompetence,” especially considering the scale of the affected candidates and the consequences they have endured.
During a press briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday, Professor Oloyede acknowledged the faults in the UTME results. He was visibly emotional and broke into tears as he issued a public apology to affected candidates. The JAMB boss said that nearly 380,000 students whose results were impacted would be allowed to retake the examination.
He also took full responsibility for the errors, which he attributed to the negligence of certain staff members.
However, the apology has not eased the outrage felt by students and their families. Adeyemi noted that the errors have led to severe psychological trauma for many students. He referenced the tragic case of Timilehin, a female student in Ikorodu, Lagos, who reportedly took her own life after receiving an incorrect UTME score.
“The National Association of Nigerian Students is outraged by the unforgivable negligence of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, which has resulted in widespread despair among Nigerian students and, most tragically, the loss of a promising young life in Lagos,” he said.
He further noted that errors were particularly common in Lagos and across five South Eastern states, adding that the situation has not only shattered the dreams of many but also revealed deep flaws in the institution’s operational systems. NANS has now called for Professor Oloyede to step down immediately, insisting that leadership failure on this scale cannot go unpunished. The group also demanded that JAMB offer compensation and full support—legal, financial, and psychological—to the bereaved family.
“Prof. Ishaq Oloyede must resign without delay. The leadership that presided over this disaster cannot continue to administer an examination body that holds the future of Nigerian students in its hands,” Adeyemi stated.
