A former United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Human Trafficking, Prof Joy Ezeilo (SAN), said it’s commendable that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has taken responsibility for the widespread failures of candidates in the just concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
Ezeilo, also former Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu, said she found it inconceivable to attribute over sixty per cent of the failures in 2025 UTME to a lack of intelligence among students or to dismiss them as a declining interest in education among today’s youth.
The statement came after Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, which affected the performance of students during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The Board had claimed that of the 1.9 million candidates who sat the UTME, over 1.5 million reportedly scored below 200 out of the maximum 400 marks, raising concerns across the education sector.
However, in a chat with DAILY POST on Wednesday, Ezeilo suggested that the introduction of new technologies for traditionally written exams should be gradual.
She said: “It is commendable that the JAMB leadership has taken responsibility for the widespread failures, which were partly due to the introduction of new technology that many candidates were unfamiliar with.
“In a country as polarised as ours, with evident disparities between the rich and the poor, urban and rural areas, and between genders, it is inconsiderate to implement such an exam policy without addressing these issues, particularly the digital divide.
“This divide is especially pronounced in rural areas and among women and girls, leading to significant gaps in both knowledge and practical technology use.
“As an educator, I find it inconceivable to attribute over sixty per cent of these failures to a lack of intelligence among students or to dismiss them as a declining interest in education among today’s youth.
“The key takeaway is that the introduction of new technologies for traditionally written exams should be gradual. This process should begin by providing choices and should span at least five to ten years before entirely phasing out handwritten JAMB entrance or other public exams.
“Such a phased approach will ensure a smoother transition and greater inclusivity for all students.”;;
