Newly released data from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reignited concerns about the state of education in Nigeria. The statistics from the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) reveal a worrying trend: out of 1,955,069 candidates, more than 1.5 million failed to meet the 200-point benchmark commonly required for university admission.
According to the performance breakdown released on Monday, only 420,415 candidates scored above 200. Even more alarming, just 12,414 candidates—representing a mere 0.63% of all test-takers—managed to score 300 and above, underscoring a sharp decline in top-tier performance.
The figures have sparked nationwide concern, with education stakeholders calling for urgent reforms in curriculum design, teacher training, and student learning support to address systemic shortcomings and improve academic outcomes across the board.