Over 1.5 Million Candidates Score Below 200 in 2025 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) recently released the official results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), and the statistics are sobering. Of the 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the nationwide examination, over 1.5 million scored below 200, the midpoint of the total score range.

This revelation has sparked national concern, not just about the performance of students but about the state of education in Nigeria as a whole. What is failing—our children, our educational system, or our collective investment in future generations?

According to JAMB’s detailed report, only 4,756 candidates scored above 320, while 7,658 candidates scored between 300 and 319. Even more telling is the case of 40,247 underage candidates—children considered academically gifted and allowed to take the exam early. Shockingly, just 1.16% (467 candidates) among them achieved what JAMB defines as exceptional performance.

These figures raise difficult but necessary questions. Are students adequately prepared for these exams, or are they victims of a system that no longer meets the demands of modern education? What support structures are in place for learning in homes, schools, and communities?

For many Nigerian families—especially mothers, who often serve as the academic and emotional backbone in the household—this news can be disheartening. The burden of navigating rising school fees, unreliable teaching environments, and a future that feels uncertain, rests heavily on their shoulders.

But perhaps this moment is also an opportunity for national reflection.

It is a call for more than blame—it is a call for solutions: better teacher training, curriculum reform, digital access for underserved areas, and mental health support for students who feel overwhelmed by pressure.

JAMB has indicated that high-performing underage candidates will undergo further assessments before their final evaluations are complete. But beyond these top performers, what happens to the millions who are simply trying to survive the system?

At Above Whispers, we believe education should be a tool for empowerment, not a source of despair. The 2025 UTME results are not just statistics—they are stories, challenges, and wake-up calls. For educators, parents, policy makers, and the nation at large, the question is not who failed—but how we must rise to do better.