For decades, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has stood as the gatekeeper for university admissions in Nigeria.
Every year, millions of students pin their hopes on a single exam, the UTME, to determine whether they can take the next step in their academic journey.
But after years of technical mishaps, emotional trauma, and growing public frustration, many are beginning to ask: Is JAMB doing more harm than good?
Here are five reasons why it may be time to completely scrap JAMB.
1. Too Many Technical Failures, Too Little Accountability
Imagine studying for months, sacrificing sleep, family time, and even meals, only to find out that your results were affected by a “server error.”
That’s the reality for nearly 380,000 students who sat for the 2025 UTME. Many of them had to retake the exam after JAMB admitted to major result errors caused by faulty system updates and human oversight.
These aren’t isolated incidents—every year, we hear about glitches, crashes, or misprinted exam slips.
For a body responsible for shaping the future of Nigerian youth, such consistent failures have made it hard for people to trust the system.
2. It’s Taking a Serious Toll on Students’ Mental Health
Behind every UTME score is a student battling pressure—from parents, schools, and society. The recent errors left many candidates devastated.
Some reported scores dropping drastically with no explanation. Others said they opened exam sections only to see answer options without questions.
For teenagers barely out of secondary school, this kind of emotional rollercoaster can leave lasting damage.
Anxiety, depression, and even a sense of hopelessness are becoming too common among students caught in JAMB’s crossfire.
3. Universities Are Being Strangled by a One-Size-Fits-All System
Not all universities are the same. They have different cultures, strengths, and admission priorities. Yet JAMB forces them all to pick students from a single exam pool, using the same criteria.
This strips institutions of their autonomy and limits their ability to select candidates best suited for their specific programs.
Why should a university known for research and innovation be tied to the same metrics as one focused on vocational or entrepreneurial training?
4. Legal Storms and Rights Violations Keep Piling Up
After the 2025 exam debacle, parents and lawyers filed a N10 billion lawsuit against JAMB, accusing the body of violating the fundamental rights of students.
Candidates claimed the exam experience was not only flawed but traumatic; many minors were affected.
When a national education body becomes the subject of lawsuits over human rights concerns, it’s a clear sign that something has gone wrong at the foundation.
5. It’s Time to Trust Our Universities
The call for decentralization is getting louder. Education experts and stakeholders are suggesting a more flexible system where universities conduct their own entrance exams or adopt alternative assessments.
This wouldn’t just reduce JAMB’s burden it would allow institutions to take ownership of their admission processes. It’s already working in other countries. Why can’t Nigeria evolve too?
