UTME Mass Failure Shows Our Efforts Are Working – Education Minister

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, says the high failure rate in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is proof that the government’s crackdown on examination malpractice is working. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Alausa said the disappointing performance of students reflects a significant drop in cheating due to stricter security measures implemented by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Following the release of the 2025 UTME results, concerns mounted nationwide as JAMB revealed that only about 420,000 out of nearly two million candidates scored above 200. This means more than 78 percent failed to cross the benchmark. Alausa, however, said this outcome is a result of credible testing, not declining student ability. “It’s a reflection of exams being done the proper way,” he said. “JAMB has tightened its processes with computer-based testing and strong security. That has eliminated cheating.”

The minister noted that the same cannot yet be said for other examination bodies like WAEC and NECO. He disclosed that the Ministry of Education, under his leadership, conducted a comprehensive review of national examination systems and has begun implementing reforms to align them with JAMB’s standards.

As part of the reform agenda, WAEC and NECO will begin transitioning to computer-based testing in November 2025, starting with objective papers. The full CBT format, including essay questions, will be introduced by the May/June 2026 examination cycle. “We have to use technology to fight this fraud,” Alausa emphasized, noting the continued existence of so-called “miracle centres” where exam questions are leaked and cheating thrives.

He warned that the culture of malpractice discourages honest students and damages the integrity of the education system. “The worst part of cheating is that it disincentivises the hard-working ones,” Alausa said. “If students know others already have access to the questions, they lose motivation to study. That’s how academic corruption begins, and it must stop.”

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to technology-driven reforms aimed at restoring credibility in Nigeria’s examination and admissions systems.