The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has praised the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for its exceptional transparency in addressing concerns following mass failures in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

In a statement issued on Thursday by Paul Odenyi, NOA's Deputy Director of Media & Communications, Onilu described JAMB's open acknowledgment of its lapses as "a rare and commendable act of leadership" that should serve as a model for other public institutions in Nigeria.

"When institutions own their mistakes and act to correct them, they earn the respect and confidence of the people," Onilu stated, while commending JAMB Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, for demonstrating integrity and courage in public leadership.

The NOA Director General, however, emphasized that JAMB needs to go beyond acknowledging errors by implementing remedial measures that directly address the concerns of affected candidates, parents, and other stakeholders.

"While recognition of mistakes is the first step, redemption and restitution are other necessary steps to be taken. Having decided to provide another opportunity to the candidates as a way of redeeming the errors, it is imperative that JAMB considers appropriate compensation to mitigate the stress and anxiety these candidates may have suffered," he added.

Onilu reaffirmed NOA's commitment to promoting governance culture anchored in trust, integrity, and mutual respect between citizens and institutions. Referencing the Citizen Codes under the National Values Charter, he reiterated that leadership is a collective responsibility.

"Every citizen, whether in public service or private life, has a duty to uphold the core values of integrity, accountability, and transparency. These values are not optional—they are the pillars of a just and equitable society," the NOA DG stated.

He noted that the Agency's campaign to entrench the ideals of the National Values Charter across all levels of society will remain a central focus as Nigeria strives toward a more ethical, inclusive, and responsible governance culture.

The 2025 UTME has been marred by reports of technical glitches and mass failures, prompting JAMB to acknowledge issues with the examination process and announce remedial measures for affected candidates.