Former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, has urged Nigerians to encourage rather than criticize the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, following his admission of errors in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Speaking on Channels Television's 'Sunrise Daily' program on Friday, Akande commended Oloyede's transparency and his ongoing efforts to combat examination malpractice in Nigeria's educational system.

"A lot of cheating is going on. We are having very troubling circumstances and situations where parents are paying for people to sit for their wards. It's become a pandemic, and Oloyede is moving against that," Akande stated.

He cautioned against allowing those affected by JAMB's anti-malpractice reforms to use the current situation to undermine Oloyede's work. "We have to be careful not to let the people that are on the receiving end of that important reform use this occasion to push back against somebody like Oloyede or even the education minister, who is clearly also reform-minded," he added.

Akande particularly praised Oloyede's willingness to take responsibility for the examination issues, noting, "Oloyede has come out to say that, 'Hey, this is an embarrassment. I take responsibility'. Not many people would behave that way. So, we need to encourage him to continue to reform, and we need to encourage the minister."

JAMB's Admission of Error

The controversy erupted after JAMB acknowledged technical glitches in the recently conducted 2025 UTME following widespread complaints about unusually poor scores and other irregularities. This admission came after significant public backlash regarding the examination's conduct.

According to Oloyede, approximately 379,997 candidates were affected by the technical issues, which occurred in 157 out of the 887 centers nationwide. These candidates will retake the examination starting from May 16, 2025.

The announcement has divided public opinion, with many Nigerians calling for Oloyede's resignation, while others, like Akande, believe the JAMB Registrar deserves support for his transparency and ongoing reform efforts in Nigeria's examination system.

The UTME serves as the primary entrance examination for tertiary institutions across Nigeria, making its integrity crucial for millions of students seeking higher education opportunities each year.