By Israel Adebiyi

To ignore the recently released—and deeply troubling—JAMB results would be to disappoint the many who have asked for my take on the matter. For some, the priority is to find a scapegoat. But for me, the focus must be on confronting the deep-rooted decay in our educational system. Only by addressing the rot can we hope to find lasting solutions.

The recently released results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) offer a sobering mirror of our nation’s educational crisis. Out of over 1.9 million candidates, more than 1.5 million scored below 200 in an exam graded over 400. The breakdown reveals that 50.29% of candidates scored between 160 and 199, and 24.97% fell between 140 and 159. Only 0.63% of candidates—just over twelve thousand—scored 300 and above. This glaring lopsidedness is more than a statistical concern; it is a national emergency.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) insists that the low scores are not a national setback, but rather an accurate reflection of student preparedness in a system now free from manipulation and inflated results. Yet, the truth is painful: too many of our students are failing—not because they are inherently incapable, but because they have been failed. Failed by an education system underfunded, outdated, and often directionless. Failed by a society where “school na scam” is no longer a joke but a deeply rooted ideology. Failed by parents, leaders, and peers who no longer model learning, character, or long-term thinking.

There are many explanations for this collapse. Some point to lifestyle choices—the glorification of gangsterism, drugs, and fraud. Others blame the older youth who, disillusioned by a society that rewards corruption over competence, now discourage their younger ones from the academic path altogether. Many parents, too, are complicit—either too busy, too permissive, or too resigned to enforce discipline or foster intellectual curiosity. Instead, privileges are handed to children without responsibilities, breeding entitlement over effort. In such a climate, it’s no surprise that many students today can hardly sustain attention, let alone academic consistency.

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The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has attributed this year’s results to the integrity of the exam process—suggesting that the scores are now more honest than ever. While this may be true, it doesn’t absolve the system of its broader failings. Honest results are welcome, but a broken pipeline that churns out unprepared students year after year is not progress—it is national decline. And then there is the menace of Miracle Examination Centres, those breeding grounds of fraud disguised as schools. These centers exist because we have normalized shortcuts, eroded values, and built an entire generation around the notion that merit can be bypassed. They flourish in the cracks of regulatory oversight and societal silence.

The results also expose our lack of readiness for a fully digitized education system. Nigeria’s migration to computer-based testing, while commendable in theory, has failed to address the disparities in access and preparedness, especially for students in rural areas who may be seeing a computer for the first time during an exam. Digital literacy is no longer a luxury; it is a prerequisite for future survival. If we must insist on computer-based tests, then we must also invest heavily in digital infrastructure and training at the foundational level.

But technology alone cannot solve what curriculum confusion has created. Our curriculum must be reviewed to align with modern challenges and realities. The current system is heavily theoretical, misaligned with industry needs, and uninspiring to both learners and teachers. A revised curriculum must prioritize problem-solving, creativity, emotional intelligence, and practical applications over rote memorization. Furthermore, we must ask ourselves a tough but necessary question: must every child pursue a university degree? Nigeria’s overemphasis on tertiary education has devalued vocational skills and undermined the dignity of labour. We must broaden our definition of success and create strong alternatives through well-funded, prestigious technical and vocational institutions. Not all intelligence fits within the academic mold, and we must recognize and accommodate that.

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These reforms must go hand in hand with massive investment in teacher training and motivation. An unmotivated teacher cannot inspire excellence. And no matter how good a curriculum is, it cannot be effectively delivered by someone who is underpaid, overburdened, and underappreciated. Education is a long game—it takes consistent investment, vision, and societal support. But it is the only game worth playing if a nation must survive.

We must also be honest about our failure to support children with learning disabilities or special needs. The current one-size-fits-all model disregards the unique learning paths of many children who may thrive if given the right support systems. It is time to develop an inclusive education policy that caters to the diverse spectrum of learners in our classrooms.

The danger ahead is that if we continue down this path, Nigeria will have no intellectual capital left. The middle class, once anchored by a strong education system, is vanishing. We are gradually becoming a nation of extremes—the very rich and the very poor, with no buffer in between. With each batch of undereducated, demoralized youth, our social fabric grows thinner, and our prospects dimmer.

This year’s UTME results must not be treated as another forgettable news cycle. They are a national alarm bell. We must rethink our educational philosophy and act swiftly. We must place education at the center of national security discussions, economic planning, and social reform. We must stop treating it as charity and start treating it as the engine of every other sector.

We have failed too many children. If we don’t fix this now, the future they inherit will be one of permanent dependence, mass migration, and institutional collapse. The task ahead is monumental, but the alternative is unthinkable. It is time to return to the drawing board. The pulse of the nation is weakening, but it can still be revived—if we act now, decisively and sincerely.