Nigeria’s Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has offered a strong defense of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) following widespread public backlash over technical failures during the recent Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). In an intense and revealing interview on Arise TV, the minister tackled questions about systemic issues, student suicides, and declining performance rates—insisting that the examination process remains one of the best in Africa.
Reacting to concerns that nearly two million candidates prepared rigorously for the UTME only to encounter power outages, log-in errors, and systemic crashes on exam day, Dr. Alausa dismissed the accusations as “totally untrue.” He emphasized that the Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres used for the exams are privately owned, well-equipped, and fully vetted by JAMB for efficiency. “They are commercially operated and paid per student by JAMB. Each centre has backup generators, cooling systems, and standard facilities,” he said.
While acknowledging that a technical issue occurred, the minister denied that it was widespread or due to negligence. Instead, he attributed the problem to a software patch that disrupted the rotation of question sets, which is a built-in feature to curb examination malpractice. “This wasn’t a failure in infrastructure. It was a glitch in the question randomization system in select centres in Lagos and parts of the East,” he explained. “Questions stopped rotating, and that compromised fairness. Once detected, JAMB worked with its service provider to fix it.”
Dr. Alausa detailed how the anomaly was discovered even before public complaints began. According to him, internal post-exam analysis revealed sudden drops in performance in previously high-performing states, prompting immediate diagnostics. He shared a personal story of a parent in Lagos who raised concerns over inconsistent scores between twin daughters—one scoring 300, the other 163. This, he said, confirmed the presence of a deeper issue.
“I immediately called the JAMB Registrar. They were already assembling subject matter experts for a comprehensive review,” Alausa recounted. “The error impacted about 300,000 students. Those affected were promptly re-examined, and their results are now out.”
Despite these corrections, outrage persists due to the poor performance rate: only 22% of candidates scored above 300. Dr. Alausa called for a broader national discussion on declining student performance, suggesting that beyond technical issues, educational fraud and declining standards in schools may be to blame. “Even with international benchmarks, our students are struggling,” he said.
He used the platform to praise the integrity of JAMB and the leadership of its Registrar, whom he described as “building one of the best CBT systems in the world.” He emphasized that no system is flawless, especially in large-scale technology-driven processes, but applauded JAMB’s internal controls and transparency in resolving the glitch.
Looking ahead, the minister announced that both WAEC and NECO are set to adopt CBT methods by November 2025. He visited a centre already piloting the system and was encouraged by students’ reactions. “I asked one candidate if they preferred CBT over pen and paper. His answer was: ‘Honourable Minister, please don’t take us back to pencil and paper.’ That’s the direction we’re going,” Alausa said.
In conclusion, Dr. Alausa reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to education reform. “We’re not just talking, we’re implementing real solutions—from digital learning to exam integrity, and now even changing how assessments are conducted. That’s the promise we made, and that’s what we’re delivering,” he said.
Despite time constraints cutting the interview short, the minister’s message was clear: the challenges in Nigeria’s education system are real, but the solutions are unfolding—backed by political will, data-driven action, and a shift toward digital accountability.
